Ukraine willing to drop ambitions to join Nato, Zelenskyy says
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krainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signalled a willingness to abandon Ukraine’s long-standing ambition to join the Nato military alliance, as part of intensive talks with US representatives aimed at ending the war with Russia. Zelenskyy met American envoys in Berlin on Sunday for around five hours of negotiations.
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the discussions produced “a lot of progress”, after meeting Zelenskyy alongside the former US president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. While few details were made public, the talks form part of renewed diplomatic efforts to bring an end to Europe’s deadliest conflict since the Second World War.
An adviser to Zelenskyy, Dmytro Lytvyn, said the Ukrainian president would provide further comment once discussions conclude on Monday, adding that draft proposals are currently under review.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy had indicated he could relinquish Nato membership ambitions in return for firm western security guarantees. Such a move would mark a major shift in Kyiv’s position, as Nato membership is enshrined in Ukraine’s constitution and seen as protection against future Russian aggression. The talks were hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with further European discussions expected to follow.
