Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Sunday that Ukraine is prepared to drop its long-standing bid to join NATO in exchange for concrete Western security guarantees but firmly rejected proposals from the United States to give up territory to Russia as part of a potential peace deal.
The remarks came as Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin for high-level talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The meeting is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war, now entering its third year.
Zelenskyy told reporters via an encrypted group chat that Kyiv is willing to compromise on NATO membership in light of opposition from the U.S. and European countries. However, he stressed that any replacement security assurances must be legally binding and approved by Congress. “These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” Zelenskyy said. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”
While the NATO issue may be negotiable, the U.S.-backed proposal for Ukraine to withdraw from eastern Donetsk and establish a demilitarized free economic zone was met with a hard “no.” Zelenskyy questioned the fairness and practicality of such a plan, especially if Russian forces are not also required to retreat. “Today a fair possible option is we stand where we stand,” he said, calling the issue “very sensitive.”
Russian officials have pushed for Ukraine to relinquish remaining control over Donetsk as a condition for any settlement. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed that the territorial issue was discussed during earlier talks with Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow. Ushakov indicated that Moscow objects strongly to modifications introduced by Ukraine and European allies to U.S. draft proposals.
In recent remarks, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that Ukraine’s fall would embolden Putin to push for a broader redrawing of European borders. “If Ukraine falls, he won’t stop,” Merz said. Meanwhile, Moscow continues to deny any ambitions to restore the Soviet Union or threaten NATO countries.
The weekend saw a spike in violence. Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting most of the 138 drones and multiple missiles launched overnight by Russia. Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands remain without power across eastern and southern regions. In turn, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it downed 235 Ukrainian drones over the same period.
Despite the intensified warfare, Zelenskyy expressed hope that diplomacy could yield progress in the coming days. “Ukraine needs peace on decent terms, and we are ready to work as constructively as possible,” he said.
