As US Talks Begin, Zelensky Agrees to Drop NATO Bid

Heading into peace talks in Berlin on Sunday, Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is prepared to drop its long-standing bid to join NATO in return for firm security guarantees from the US and key allies. Bilateral guarantees from the US—modeled on NATO's mutual defense clause—along with commitments from European nations, Canada, and Japan could provide a framework to deter any future Russian attack, Zelenskiy told reporters in a WhatsApp exchange. He said the guarantees would have to be legally binding, Reuters reports. Ukraine's NATO aspiration is currently written into its constitution and has been a central element of its post-2014 security strategy.

Zelensky was meeting Sunday with President Trump's envoys and European leaders on a US-backed peace proposal. Although Zelensky brought up a willingness to compromise on NATO membership, he repeated that Ukraine is not interested in the US idea that it turn over to territory to Russia that it now controls, per the New York Times. Zelensky indicated that a ceasefire along existing front lines would be "a fair option," per Reuters. The concession on NATO would align with Russia's stated war aims and overlaps with elements of the draft US peace proposal reported last month, which also called for Ukraine giving up additional territory and accepting limits on its armed forces.

"These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression," said Zelensky, per the AP. He also condemned ongoing Russian strikes on energy, heating, and water infrastructure, saying more than 1,500 attack drones, nearly 900 guided bombs, and 46 missiles had been launched against his country over the past week. The US is represented at the Berlin talks, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.