Zelenskyy offers alternative to NATO membership in exchange for strong security guarantees, - Bloomberg
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is proposing an alternative approach to security guarantees for Ukraine to the United States and European partners, which involves possibly abandoning the desire to join NATO in exchange for firm commitments to protect against future Russian aggression.
This was reported by Bloomberg, according to Censor.NET.
According to the publication, instead of membership in the Alliance, Zelenskyy proposes to conclude a network of bilateral and multilateral agreements with a number of countries, which in substance would be similar to NATO's Article 5 on collective defence. This approach, Bloomberg notes, effectively tests the willingness of US President Donald Trump and European leaders to back up their statements of support for Ukraine's independence with concrete military commitments.
Negotiations in Berlin
It is reported that negotiations continued in Berlin with the participation of an American delegation, which included Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. At the same time, according to the agency's assessment, there are currently no convincing signs that the West is ready to resolutely oppose the Kremlin, despite NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's warning that Europe could become "Russia's next target."
Peacekeeping forces
Bloomberg also notes that the so-called "Coalition of the Willing," which includes more than 30 countries, is not ready to send troops to Ukraine until a truce is concluded, and even then does not plan to deploy them near the front line. Donald Trump, for his part, has ruled out the possibility of US ground troops participating, while Russia is categorically opposed to the presence of any NATO forces in Ukraine.
Safety guarantees
The article emphasises that Kyiv's demand for "ironclad" security guarantees is based on the experience of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which failed to protect Ukraine at the time of Russian aggression. At the same time, many Western leaders have not supported Ukraine's accession to NATO, so Zelenskyy's proposal, according to Bloomberg, is a recognition of political reality.
Despite this, Russia's war against Ukraine remains the greatest challenge to European security in recent decades, and the Ukrainian president, as the publication emphasises, makes it clear that regardless of formal NATO membership, without firm and effective security guarantees, lasting peace cannot be achieved.
Negotiations in Berlin
- We would like to remind you that on Sunday, 14 December, a meeting between the Ukrainian delegation led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and representatives of US President Donald Trump's team is taking place in Berlin.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also present at the talks.
- On 15 December, the parties held another round of talks, which have now concluded.
- According to media reports, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pressured Kyiv during the talks in Berlin with the Ukrainian delegation to transfer the Donbas territories still under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to Russia.
