President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled that Ukraine could accept security guarantees from the US and Europe as a way to prevent future Russian aggression, and substitute for its long-term goal of joining NATO.
Ukraine’s leader met at Germany’s Federal Chancellery in Berlin on Sunday with a US delegation led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, along with several national security advisers from Europe.
A lot of progress was made during a meeting, which lasted more than five hours and included in-depth discussions about a 20-point peace plan, economic agendas and other matters, according to a statement from the US delegation. Talks will resume on Monday, it said.
Kyiv, which for years has seen membership in the alliance as a way to ensure its future security, has altered its rhetoric amid continued reluctance of the US and some European partners and as Washington presses efforts to bring the almost four-year-old war to an end.
Bilateral security agreements between Ukraine and the US that function similarly to NATO’s Article 5, as well as guarantees from Europe and other countries, potentially including Canada and Japan, could prevent “another coming of Russian aggression,” Zelensky told reporters.
“The key thing is that all the steps we agree on with partners must work in practice to deliver guaranteed security,” Zelensky said separately on X. “Only reliable guarantees can deliver peace.”
Beyond Sunday’s talks, a major summit is slated for Monday, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set to join about 10 other European leaders.
Zelensky said the roadmap for a potential accord on Ukraine’s future won’t be one that everyone likes, and Russian officials have already decried the involvement of Ukraine and Europe in developing peace proposals.
“The plan should be as fair as possible, and first of all for Ukraine, because it was Russia that started the war,” Zelensky said. “The plan should stipulate that after its signing, Russia would not have the opportunity to start another war.”
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo earlier told the state-owned broadcaster YLE in Helsinki that “there’s cautious optimism in the air” about the latest round of talks.
“This is the most serious attempt we have seen so far, and breakthroughs are possible,” Orpo said, adding that “we don’t know exactly what Russia’s ultimate stance is.”
Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said in pre-recorded remarks to state television broadcast on Sunday that “there will be some absolutely unacceptable points for us, including territorial issues.”
As an example, Russia, “1 million percent,” won’t cede control of the Crimean peninsula it annexed in 2014, he said.
Zelensky said the latest meetings may bring important changes as the parties focus on a 20-point blueprint, including terms of a ceasefire to end Russia’s invasion.
“This can change the situation on the ground,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine is focused on economic and security issues as well as the military part of the proposal.
Separately, on X, Zelensky said that Ukraine “needs peace on dignified terms” and is ready to work “as constructively as possible” to that end.
