Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has hinted at a potential ceasefire agreement to end the war with Russia.
He suggested that parts of Ukraine currently under his control could be taken “under the NATO umbrella,” allowing diplomatic negotiations for the return of occupied territories later.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, Zelenskyy addressed reports that one of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s strategies might involve Kyiv ceding occupied lands to Russia in exchange for NATO membership.
Zelenskyy indicated that NATO membership would have to apply to unoccupied regions of Ukraine while reaffirming the country’s internationally recognised borders.
“If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control,” Zelenskyy stated. “We need to do it fast. And then on the (occupied) territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back in a diplomatic way.”
Zelenskyy appeared to acknowledge that occupied eastern parts of the country, for now, would remain outside such a deal.
He emphasised the necessity of a ceasefire to prevent further aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We need this very much, otherwise he will come back,” he said, urging NATO to provide immediate support for Kyiv-controlled territories.
This marks the first time Zelenskyy has alluded to a deal that could include Russian retention of some Ukrainian lands, a significant shift in rhetoric.
Since the conflict began, Zelenskyy has maintained a firm stance against ceding any occupied territories, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Discussing the forthcoming Trump presidency, Zelenskyy expressed a willingness to work directly with the U.S. leader. “I want to work with him directly because there are different voices from people around him. And that’s why we need not to allow anybody around to destroy our communication,” he said.
Zelenskyy revealed he had previously met Trump in New York, describing their September conversation as “very warm, good, constructive.”
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