Ukraine may consider the scenario of joining NATO in exchange for relinquishing the territories occupied by Russia. However, our country will only agree to this under certain conditions.
This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman.
The interviewer asked the president whether Ukraine would agree to give up the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea, in exchange for an invitation to join NATO.
"Legally, an invitation to NATO is being made to Ukraine, and we do not recognize all other territories of Ukraine, but NATO can operate in the part that is under Ukraine's control - this can be negotiated. I am confident," Zelensky said.
The president clarified that such a scenario is possible only if Ukraine sees a diplomatic way to end the war.
"This is the first thing. The second is a package of weapons. I am not ready to publicly disclose what this entails, but for President Trump, there are no secrets. It mainly depends on the will of the USA. Because partially the EU will provide some and partially the USA. This package requires unity," he explained.
Zelensky added that the newly elected US President Donald Trump would also need to impose sanctions against Russia to prevent Russian energy from entering the market. He emphasized that this, first and foremost, would be beneficial for Washington.
"I think he will be pleased (Donald Trump - UNIAN), the president and the people of the USA will be happy. The decision is yours (USA - UNIAN). Then Putin won't have as much money for the war," the president clarified.
Ukraine and NATO - important news
Earlier, Michael Carpenter, an advisor on European affairs at the US National Security Council, explained when Ukraine could become a NATO member. He stated that the best security guarantee would be Article 5 of the Alliance, which stipulates that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all its members.
Additionally, Patrick Turner, head of the NATO Representation in Ukraine, announced that NATO will triple its presence in Ukraine in 2024 and plans to further increase it next year. It is noted that by 2025, approximately 20 more individuals may join the NATO Representation team in Ukraine.