Negotiation are ongoing
Zelenskyy: Ukraine Ready to Drop NATO Membership Bid for Binding Security Guarantees
Analysts note that any security guarantees would need to be ironclad, given Ukraine's past experience with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, where international assurances failed to prevent Russian incursions after Kyiv relinquished its nuclear arsenal.
In a significant policy shift, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is prepared to abandon its long-standing demand for NATO membership in exchange for robust, legally binding security guarantees from the United States and other Western allies.Speaking to reporters ahead of high-level talks in Berlin, Zelenskyy described the offer as "already a compromise on our part."
He emphasized that any alternative must include bilateral assurances from the US, modeled on NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause, along with commitments from European partners, Canada, Japan, and others to deter future Russian aggression
.The announcement came during intensive negotiations hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, involving Zelenskyy, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and senior European leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.U.S. envoy Witkoff described Sunday's five-hour session as showing "a lot of progress," with discussions continuing into Monday on a proposed 20-point peace framework aimed at ending the nearly three-year war.
Zelenskyy firmly rejected suggestions of territorial concessions, such as withdrawing from remaining Ukrainian-held areas in Donetsk or establishing demilitarized zones.
He proposed a potential ceasefire along current front lines as a "fair" starting point.The concession directly addresses one of Russia's core demands, no NATO expansion to include Ukraine, a goal Kyiv has pursued vigorously since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and especially after the 2022 full-scale invasion. NATO membership is even enshrined in Ukraine's constitution.Russian officials welcomed the signal on NATO but maintained demands for territorial adjustments.The talks reflect pressure from the incoming Trump administration for a swift resolution.
While no agreement has been reached, sources describe the atmosphere as constructive amid cautious optimism for a breakthrough.
Further updates are expected as negotiations continue in Berlin.