Ukraine has given up its desire to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from the West as a compromise to end the war with Russia, its President Volodymyr Zelensky said today, ahead of talks with US envoys in Berlin.
The move fulfills one of Russia's war goals, although Kiev has so far strongly opposed the transfer of territory to Russia, Reuters reports.
Zelensky stated today that security guarantees from the United States (US), the European Union (EU) and other partners, instead of NATO membership, are a compromise on the Ukrainian side.
"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction," he told reporters.
Zelensky stated that "today, bilateral security guarantees from Ukraine and the United States, as well as from European colleagues and other countries - Canada, Japan - represent an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion."
"And that is already a compromise on our part," he said, adding that security guarantees should be legally binding.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine officially abandon its NATO membership and withdraw its troops from about ten percent of the territory of Donbas, as well as that Ukraine should be a neutral country.
Zelensky had earlier called for a "dignified peace" and guarantees that Russia would not attack Ukraine again, as he prepared to meet with US envoys and European allies in Berlin to end the war that has been going on since February 2022.
US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Germany earlier today for talks with Zelensky and European officials.
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