Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a joint press convention with Turkey’s President following their assembly on the Presidential Advanced in Ankara on November 19, 2025.
Ozan Kose | AFP | Getty Pictures
Ukraine has relinquished its ambition of becoming a member of the NATO army alliance in alternate for Western safety ensures as a compromise to finish the battle with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned forward of talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin.
The transfer marks a serious shift for Ukraine, which has fought to hitch NATO as a safeguard in opposition to Russian assaults and has such an aspiration included in its structure. It additionally meets one among Russia’s battle goals, though Kyiv has thus far held agency in opposition to ceding territory to Moscow.
Zelenskyy mentioned on Sunday that the U.S., European, and different companions’ safety ensures, as a substitute of NATO membership, have been a compromise on Ukraine’s aspect.
“From the very starting, Ukraine’s need was to hitch NATO, these are actual safety ensures. Some companions from the US and Europe didn’t assist this path,” he mentioned in reply to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.
“Thus, at the moment, bilateral safety ensures between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like ensures for us from the US, and safety ensures from European colleagues, in addition to different nations — Canada, Japan — are a possibility to stop one other Russian invasion,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
“And it’s already a compromise from our half,” he mentioned, including that the safety ensures must be legally binding.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine formally surrender its NATO ambitions and withdraw troops from about 10% of Donbas, which Kyiv nonetheless controls. Moscow has additionally mentioned that Ukraine have to be a impartial nation and that no NATO troops may be stationed in Ukraine.
Russian sources mentioned earlier this yr that Putin desires a “written” pledge by main Western powers to not enlarge the U.S.-led NATO alliance eastwards — shorthand for formally ruling out membership to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and different former Soviet republics.
Zelenskyy had earlier referred to as for a “dignified” peace and ensures that Russia wouldn’t assault Ukraine once more as he ready to fulfill U.S. envoys and European allies in Berlin to finish Europe’s deadliest battle since World Conflict II.
Below stress from U.S. President Donald Trump to signal a peace deal that originally backed Moscow’s calls for, Zelenskyy accused Russia of dragging out the battle via lethal bombings of cities and Ukraine’s energy and water provides.
Though the precise make-up of the conferences on Sunday and Monday has not been made public, a U.S. official mentioned Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner have been travelling to Germany for talks involving Ukrainians and Europeans.
The selection to ship Witkoff, who has led negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on a U.S. peace proposal, seemed to be a sign that Washington noticed an opportunity of progress almost 4 years after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine, the Europeans, and the U.S. are a 20-point plan, and that on the finish of this, there’s a ceasefire. He mentioned Kyiv has no direct talks with Russia.
Zelenskyy mentioned a ceasefire alongside the present entrance strains can be a good choice.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is internet hosting Zelenskyy and European leaders for a summit within the German capital on Monday, the most recent in a collection of public exhibits of assist for the Ukrainian chief from allies throughout Europe.
‘Vital second’
Britain, France and Germany have been working to refine the U.S. proposals, which, in a draft disclosed final month, referred to as for Kyiv to cede extra territory, abandon its ambition to hitch NATO and settle for limits on its armed forces.
European allies have described this as a “essential second” that might form Ukraine’s future, and sought to shore up Kyiv’s funds by leveraging frozen Russian central financial institution belongings to fund Kyiv’s army and civilian finances.
Putin hosted Witkoff and Kushner at a gathering earlier in December that the Kremlin praised as “constructive,” though no main breakthroughs have been reached.
Zelenskyy mentioned lots of of 1000’s have been nonetheless with out energy after Russian strikes on vitality, heating and water provides throughout swathes of Ukraine, posting photos of burning and destroyed buildings.
“Russia is dragging out the battle and seeks to inflict as a lot hurt as attainable on our folks,” he mentioned.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 precipitated relations with the West to plummet and has cranked up warnings from NATO and European leaders that Putin wouldn’t cease there.
NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte mentioned in a speech in Berlin on Thursday that NATO must be “ready for the size of battle our grandparents or great-grandparents endured” and asserted that “we’re Russia’s subsequent goal.”
The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed such claims.
“This looks like a press release by a consultant of a technology that has managed to neglect what World Conflict Two was really like,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed state tv reporter Pavel Zarubin on Sunday.
“They haven’t any understanding, and sadly, Mr. Rutte, making such irresponsible statements, merely doesn’t perceive what he’s speaking about,” Peskov added.
