Zelensky Says Willing to Negotiate NATO Membership Terms for Peace

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled Sunday his readiness to negotiate NATO membership terms as part of a peace deal, while firmly ruling out any territorial concessions.

Following five hours of Berlin negotiations with a U.S. delegation headed by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Zelensky said he would comment on the talks once they are completed on Monday, when additional European leaders are set to join the discussions.

Witkoff posted on social media that "a lot of progress" had been made during the discussions.

Prior to the encounter, Zelensky indicated Ukraine might pause its NATO accession pursuit in return for Western security commitments preventing future Russian aggression should peace materialize. Simultaneously, he dismissed Trump administration proposals suggesting Ukraine should give up some territories currently under its control.

Ukraine stands prepared to accept security assurances modeled on NATO Article 5 as part of peace process compromises, a news agency reported.

"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the United States and Europe did not support this direction," he told reporters.

"Article 5-like guarantees from the United States and from European partners, as well as from other countries ... would provide an opportunity to prevent another arrival of Russian troops," Zelensky said, adding, "It is already a compromise on our part."

He said on social media that "Ukraine needs peace on dignified terms, and we are ready to work as constructively as possible. The coming days will be filled with diplomacy. It is critically important that it delivers results."

Zelensky also denounced a U.S.-floated proposal establishing a "free economic zone" in eastern Donbas portions as a buffer region, characterizing the plan as unjust and ambiguous regarding governance structure. He warned Ukraine would pursue alternative conflict resolution pathways should current diplomatic efforts collapse.

"In my view, the most important thing is that the plan be as fair as possible," Zelensky told reporters before meeting with U.S. envoys. "The plan truly should not be just a piece of paper, but a meaningful step toward ending the war."

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