Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated he is willing to drop Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO in exchange for firm Western security guarantees, during talks with US envoys in Berlin aimed at ending the war with Russia.
Zelensky held more than five hours of discussions on Sunday with US representatives, including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with negotiations set to continue on Monday. Witkoff said “a lot of progress was made,” though details were not disclosed.
According to Zelensky’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, draft documents are under consideration and the president will comment publicly once talks conclude.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky said Ukraine could accept legally binding security guarantees from the United States and European partners as a compromise, acknowledging that some allies had not supported Kyiv’s NATO ambitions.
The talks, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, come as Russia continues to demand Ukraine formally abandon its NATO bid and accept neutrality. European leaders are expected to hold further discussions in Germany as efforts intensify to reach a ceasefire nearly four years after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Zelensky held more than five hours of discussions on Sunday with US representatives, including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with negotiations set to continue on Monday. Witkoff said “a lot of progress was made,” though details were not disclosed.
According to Zelensky’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, draft documents are under consideration and the president will comment publicly once talks conclude.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky said Ukraine could accept legally binding security guarantees from the United States and European partners as a compromise, acknowledging that some allies had not supported Kyiv’s NATO ambitions.
The talks, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, come as Russia continues to demand Ukraine formally abandon its NATO bid and accept neutrality. European leaders are expected to hold further discussions in Germany as efforts intensify to reach a ceasefire nearly four years after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
