Post by : Rameen Ariff

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready to give up Ukraine’s long-standing bid to join NATO if Western nations provide strong and legally binding security guarantees to protect his country from future Russian attacks. However, he made it clear that Ukraine will not accept any proposal that requires giving up its territory to Russia.

Zelenskyy made the remarks during high-level talks with senior representatives from the United States as efforts continue to find a way to end the Russia-Ukraine war. He met with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The meeting was also attended by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, underlining Europe’s close involvement in the peace discussions.

Before the talks, Zelenskyy told journalists that Ukraine had already shown flexibility by being willing to drop its NATO membership demand, especially after the United States and some European countries expressed reluctance to move forward with Ukraine’s entry into the alliance. In return, he said Kyiv expects the West to offer firm security guarantees similar to those enjoyed by NATO members.

Zelenskyy stressed that any security guarantees must be legally binding and approved by the US Congress to ensure long-term protection. He described such guarantees as essential to prevent another wave of Russian aggression, calling the offer a major compromise from Ukraine’s side.

Russia has repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, with President Vladimir Putin calling the move a direct threat to Moscow’s security. The Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine permanently abandon its NATO bid as part of any peace agreement, a position it has held since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

During the negotiations, Zelenskyy firmly rejected proposals linked to territorial concessions. He said the United States had floated an idea involving Ukraine withdrawing from parts of the eastern Donetsk region to create a demilitarised economic zone. Zelenskyy dismissed the proposal as unfair and impractical, questioning who would control such a zone and why only Ukrainian forces would be required to pull back.

He argued that if Ukrainian troops were asked to withdraw several kilometres, Russian forces should also retreat by the same distance into occupied areas. Zelenskyy described the territorial issue as extremely sensitive and said the most realistic option at present is to freeze the conflict along the current line of contact.

Russian officials, however, have signalled resistance to compromise. Moscow has insisted that Ukraine withdraw its remaining forces from parts of Donetsk still under Kyiv’s control, a demand Ukraine has rejected outright. Russian officials have also indicated that their police and security forces would remain in the region even under a proposed demilitarised arrangement.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue on multiple fronts. Zelenskyy said he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron shortly before meeting US envoys, thanking him for continued support and saying both countries are closely coordinating to ensure shared European security. Macron publicly reaffirmed France’s commitment to Ukraine, saying Paris would stand by Kyiv to build a lasting peace that guarantees sovereignty and security.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that Europe can no longer rely entirely on past security arrangements and said Russia’s actions pose a serious threat to European borders. He cautioned that if Ukraine were to fall, Russian ambitions would not stop there, a claim Moscow has denied.

As talks continue, fighting on the ground shows no sign of easing. Ukraine reported a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks launched by Russia overnight, with several regions suffering power outages and infrastructure damage. Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands of families remain without electricity, heating and water, while emergency teams work to restore essential services.

Ukraine also reported that Russia has launched thousands of drones, guided bombs and missiles in recent weeks, while Russia claimed to have intercepted large numbers of Ukrainian drones targeting border regions and energy facilities.

Despite the ongoing violence, Zelenskyy said Ukraine remains committed to diplomacy but will not agree to peace at the cost of its sovereignty or territorial integrity. As negotiations continue, the world watches closely to see whether a breakthrough can be achieved in the nearly three-year-long Russia-Ukraine war.

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