Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists in an online discussion that he is willing to give up on Ukraine’s NATO membership bid if the country receives adequate security guarantees from European nations and the U.S.
Zelensky made his claim ahead of meetings with European leaders in Berlin and U.S. envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He emphasized that these would be bilateral security guarantees, similar to NATO’s Article 5, involving Europe, the U.S. and other allies such as Canada and Japan, stating
We are talking about bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States—namely Article 5-like guarantees… as well as security guarantees for us from our European partners and from other countries such as Canada, Japan and others.
Zelensky stated he has not yet heard back from the White House regarding Ukraine’s proposed revisions to the peace plan, which were submitted after consultations with European leaders. His comments come as German, British, and French officials reportedly discuss the proposals. He also noted that Ukraine has not yet received a response to its recent modifications to the peace plan, submitted after consultations with European leaders. Zelensky acknowledged that any version of the plan will require significant compromises and may not satisfy all parties.
The proposal broadly coincides with further escalation of the war in Ukraine. A large fire broke out on a Turkish car ferry anchored at the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Friday, December 12th after it was hit in a strike. The vessel, operated by Cenk Denizcilik, had been carrying essential food supplies and was struck shortly after docking at the nearby port of Chornomorsk. No injuries were reported.
Zelensky blamed Russia for the attack, which Moscow has not commented on. The strike came hours after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested to Russian president Vladimir Putin that a limited ceasefire covering ports and energy facilities could help ease tensions. Russia has so far resisted calls for a ceasefire, as concerns grow over security in the Black Sea.
Rhetoric between Russia and NATO has also grown more heated. Sunday, December 14th saw the Kremlin criticise NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte who warned the alliance to prepare for the possibility of war with Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the remarks irresponsible and said they showed a failure to understand the devastation of the Second World War, again rejecting claims that Russia plans to attack a NATO member.
