The reaction of the Kremlin, after Zelensky said for the first time that Ukraine is willing to give up NATO membership
Dmitry Peskov. Credit line: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP / Profimedia
Moscow said it was waiting for updated information from the US after talks between US officials, the Ukrainian president and European leaders in Berlin on Monday, writes Reuters.
The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukraine's failure to join NATO was a fundamental issue in negotiations on a possible peace deal and that it was the subject of a special discussion.
“Naturally, this matter is one of the cornerstones and, of course, the subject of a special discussion,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Peskov said that Russia is waiting for updated information from the US after the talks between the US and European countries and Ukraine, which are taking place in Berlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly called on Ukraine to formally abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entire Donbas region, including the area still under Kiev's control.
Moscow has also stated that Ukraine must be a neutral country and that no NATO troops can be stationed in Ukraine.
A meeting in Berlin kicks off a crucial week for Europe and its efforts to support Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due to resume talks with US President Donald Trump's emissaries in Berlin on Monday, after the US side hailed “significant progress” achieved in the latest round of negotiations.
Zelenski will meet again with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner after five hours of talks on Sunday, with other European leaders also meeting in the German capital throughout the day.
Ukraine said on Sunday it was willing to give up its ambition to join the NATO alliance in exchange for security guarantees from the West.
Zelenskiy said that while Ukraine is prepared to abandon its NATO membership aspirations, it will continue to seek “Article 5-like” security guarantees from US and European partners.
But it was not immediately clear how far the talks had progressed on that issue or on other vital issues, such as the future of Ukrainian territory, and to what extent the Berlin talks could persuade Russia to agree to a truce.
Trump proposed the withdrawal of Ukrainian and Russian troops and the establishment of a demilitarized “free economic zone” in which US commercial interests could operate.
Ukraine rejected that proposal, according to a French official cited by Politico, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The US has insisted on territorial concessions despite Europe's vehement objections, the official added, which has raised tensions.
At the same time, European leaders insist that no progress can be made on the territories if Ukraine is not given security guarantees.
