For the first time on Friday night, Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed a willingness to cede territory to Russia to bring an end to the war. The Ukrainian president indicated that Ukraine could temporarily relinquish land in exchange for a “NATO umbrella” protecting the parts of the country it still controls.
He also mentioned that after a ceasefire is established, Kyiv could engage in “diplomatic” negotiations to reclaim the eastern territories that are currently occupied by Russia.
In an interview with Sky News, he said, “If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should take under [the] Nato umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control.”
He added, “That’s what we need to do quickly, and then Ukraine can reclaim the rest of its territory through diplomatic means.”
This statement represents a notable shift in Zelenskyy’s approach. Up until now, Kyiv had firmly stated that it would continue its fight against Russia until all of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders were reinstated, including the four regions annexed by Vladimir Putin in 2022 and Crimea. The new stance suggests a potential shift in strategy, acknowledging the possibility of a temporary territorial concession in exchange for peace, with the intent to later recover those regions through diplomatic efforts.
This shift in Zelenskyy’s position comes as Donald Trump gets ready to take office, with a promise to end the war on his first day. Meanwhile, there is growing support for a peace deal among European allies, who are increasingly looking for ways to bring an end to the conflict. This change in Ukraine’s stance comes as the international community’s approach to the war is evolving, with more leaders pushing for negotiations and peace efforts.
In his interview, Zelenskyy suggested that the “Nato umbrella” would not involve full NATO membership, which Putin has already rejected as part of any peace agreement. Instead, it could involve individual security guarantees from NATO member states, such as the UK, the US, France, and Germany, to protect Ukraine. When asked whether Kyiv would be willing to give up territory to Moscow in exchange for full NATO membership, Zelenskyy responded, “No one has offered us to be in NATO with just one part or another part of Ukraine.”
He later stated that he would be open to considering the idea of ceding the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine in exchange for the remaining free parts of the country being placed under the “NATO umbrella.”
