Kiev could agree to a ceasefire with Moscow if NATO membership is guaranteed, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has told Kyodo News.
In an interview with the Japanese media outlet published by his office on Monday, Zelensky claimed that guaranteed membership of NATO must be a condition for signing a truce with Moscow. Being part of the US-led military bloc would ensure the country is in “a strong position” in case of future conflict with Moscow, he added.
Zelensky has insisted in the past that only the “complete withdrawal” of Russian forces from former Ukrainian territories and the restoration of the country’s 1991 borders could serve as a precondition for peace negotiations.
He abruptly changed tack last week, telling Sky News he could agree to a ceasefire without the territories if Kiev became a NATO member. He made similar comments to Kyodo, admitting that the Ukrainian army currently “lacks the strength” to take back the land.
“We must ensure that Ukraine is in a strong position before we start talk of a diplomatic settlement. We could even cede some territories which we cannot return today – we lack the strength to return Crimea, it is a fact,” he said, adding that it could be done later through diplomatic means, “but only after we know we are strong enough that [Russia] does not launch a new operation [against us].”
“For this we need the invitation to NATO. From the point of view of our geography, geopolitics, modern challenges and security guarantees, it is very important for us to be associated with NATO,” he remarked.
Explaining his U-turn on preconditions for peace, Zelensky said that the conflict has entered a “complicated period” and it is therefore “necessary to end it as soon as possible” to avoid more bloodshed and loss of lives.
“NATO equals security for Ukraine... We don’t want more risks, we want investments and businesses to come in, and [NATO membership] could offer security guarantees not only to Ukraine, but Western investors,” he added.
Ukraine applied to join the US-led military bloc in September 2022. While most NATO member-states have supported Kiev’s aspirations, the bloc has repeatedly warned that Ukraine cannot become a member until the fighting with Russia is resolved.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long cited NATO’s eastward expansion as one of the causes of the conflict. Moscow has repeatedly insisted that Ukraine drop its plans to join NATO, commit to neutral status, and cede claims to all five former Ukrainian regions that chose to join Russia before any peace talks.