In the interview with Sky News, Zelenskyi is asked how he views the proposal by US President-elect Donald Trump to end the war by letting Russia keep occupied territories in return for Ukraine joining NATO.
The Ukrainian president then opens the possibility that the country may agree to a cease-fire agreement without immediately returning occupied land – on the condition that Ukraine receives protection from NATO.
The condition is that the NATO invitation takes into account Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, according to Zelenskyi.
– If we want to put an end to the more intense phase of the war, we should place the Ukrainian territories that we control under the NATO umbrella, he says.
After that, Ukraine can diplomatically negotiate a return of the Russian-occupied parts, according to Zelensky.
– The proposal has never been taken into account by Ukraine because no one has offered it to us officially.
“Guarantee that Putin will not come back”
The Ukrainian president adds that a ceasefire is needed to “guarantee that Putin does not come back” to take more Ukrainian territory.
It is the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that Zelenskyy has opened a ceasefire without Russia leaving all of Ukraine’s territory.
“A new shift”
According to SVT’s correspondent Elin Jönsson, Zelensky’s statement can be seen in the light of the fact that the war is in an intense phase where both sides are trying to set the framework for possible negotiations when Trump takes office as US president. Russia has also threatened, among other things, that it is ready to attack the government quarters in Kiev.
– Ukraine now feels that it must come forward and show that it is prepared to negotiate. This is a way to show that you can imagine going further in this step, to try to find a compromise but at the same time keep the initiative. You can see this as a new shift, she says.
According to Elin Jönsson, public opinion has swung in Ukraine during the war and nearly two-thirds of the population are now said to be prepared to give up territory in return for immediate peace in the country.
– At the same time, the situation at the front shows that many soldiers are absolutely not prepared to give up terrain.