Ukraine abandons the goal of joining NATO and asks the United States to support the front freeze in its current form. Zelensky, statements before the Berlin summit
Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo credit: dts Nachrichtenagentur / imago stock&people / Profimedia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was open to dialogue on Sunday ahead of talks in Berlin with representatives of US President Donald Trump and European leaders, according to AFP and Reuters.
Zelenskiy said he hoped the United States would support a frontline freeze in Ukraine in its current form.
“The most correct possible option is to 'stay where we are'. This is true, because it is a ceasefire… I know that Russia does not see this in a positive way, and I would like the Americans to support us in this matter,” the Ukrainian president told reporters shortly before arriving in Berlin.
Positive signal from the US
The exact composition of the US delegation was not disclosed to the public in advance, but a US official said that Trump's emissary, Steve Witkoff, and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were going to Germany for talks with Ukrainians and Europeans.
The decision to send Witkoff, who led the negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on the topic of the American peace project, seems to be a signal that Washington sees chances for progress almost four years after the outbreak of the war, notes Reuters.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine, the Europeans and the US are analyzing a 20-point plan, while specifying that there are no direct talks between Kiev and Moscow.
He noted that he had not yet received any response from Washington on the amendments proposed by Kiev, but added: “I am receiving all the signals and will be ready for the dialogue that will start today.”
“The Berlin summit is important,” the president of Ukraine emphasized.
Ukraine abandons its intention to join NATO
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country had given up membership ambitions in return for Western security guarantees as a compromise to end the war launched by Russia in February 2022.
The decision represents a drastic change of position for Ukraine, which has the goal of membership mentioned in the constitution, and meets one of Russia's demands.
“From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction,” the Ukrainian president said, answering questions from reporters in a WhatsApp conversation.
“Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, guarantees for us from the US similar to Article 5 and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries – Canada, Japan – are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion,” Zelensky added.
“And it's already a compromise on our part,” he added, adding that security guarantees should be legally binding.
