Zelenskyy allows for Ukraine to abandon NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could abandon its plans to join NATO if the United States and European countries provide reliable security guarantees.
The statement was made on December 14 during communication with journalists in a WhatsApp chat ahead of negotiations with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
Zelenskyy emphasized that such a move would be a compromise on Ukraine’s part, as the country has sought membership in the North Atlantic Alliance from the very beginning.
The Ukrainian president explained that Ukraine initially pursued NATO membership because it offers real security guarantees. However, some partners in the United States and Europe did not support this aspiration.
Now, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States — guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5 — as well as guarantees from European partners and other countries such as Canada and Japan, could become a way to prevent another Russian invasion. Zelenskyy stressed that these guarantees must be legally binding.
The statement regarding a possible step back from NATO membership plans was made ahead of talks in Berlin with U.S. President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
After the first day of talks on December 14, Witkoff said that “significant progress” had been achieved, without providing further details. The negotiations lasted more than five hours and continued on December 15.
