Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated his willingness to abandon Ukraine’s longstanding bid for NATO membership in exchange for robust security guarantees from the United States and its allies, as fresh US-led peace talks aimed at ending the war began in Berlin on Sunday. Mr Zelensky arrived in the German capital alongside senior US envoys for discussions with European leaders. Washington is intensifying efforts to broker a settlement nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The talks come amid mounting pressure on Kyiv to accept territorial concessions and other compromises as part of a US-backed peace plan. Speaking to journalists, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared for difficult trade-offs but insisted that any agreement must include legally binding security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defence clause. He described such guarantees as essential to preventing renewed Russian aggression.
Mr Zelensky said: “We are talking about Article 5–like guarantees from the United States, as well as security guarantees from our European partners and other countries.” He added that Ukraine had yet to receive a formal response from Washington to revised proposals submitted earlier this week following consultations with European leaders.
According to reporting by the Financial Times, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have urged Kyiv to accept “painful concessions”, including the potential ceding of frontline territory to Russian control, as part of a wider effort to secure a ceasefire and freeze the conflict.
Russia has so far rejected the latest proposals from Ukraine and its European allies. Kremlin officials have reiterated demands that Kyiv abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw forces from parts of eastern Ukraine still under Ukrainian control.
Moscow has also insisted that Russian forces would remain in any demilitarised zones established under a peace deal — a condition Kyiv has indicated it would not accept.
Mr Zelensky’s remarks underscore a significant shift in Ukraine’s public position. NATO membership has long been presented by Kyiv as the only credible guarantee of long-term security.
By openly conceding that accession may no longer be achievable, the Ukrainian leader appears to be acknowledging political limits in Washington and key European capitals.
The diplomatic push comes as fighting continues unabated. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched ballistic missiles and more than 130 drones overnight, targeting regions across Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Moscow claimed its air defences had downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones targeting Russian regions and energy infrastructure.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who met Mr Zelensky on Sunday, warned that Russia’s objectives extended beyond Ukraine.
Speaking at a party conference in Munich, Mr Merz said President Vladimir Putin was seeking a fundamental redrawing of Europe’s borders, a claim Moscow denies.
Despite the renewed diplomacy, significant gaps remain between the parties. While the US has pressed for a swift agreement, Russia has indicated it is prepared to wait, casting doubt over whether Washington’s accelerated timetable can deliver a breakthrough.
Mr Zelensky said the coming days would be “filled with diplomacy,” but acknowledged that any eventual deal would be deeply contentious. He concluded: “The plan will certainly not be one that everyone likes.”
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