Ukraine's NATO membership: Zelenskyy says full return of lost territories possible after joining

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the “hot phase” of the war in Ukraine could end if the country joins NATO, but only with those territories currently under Kyiv’s control. 

In an interview with Sky News, he emphasized the importance of NATO protection for Ukraine, per Caliber.Az.

“If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to cover with the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that is under our control.”

Zelenskyy argued that this should be done swiftly, and once Ukraine is under NATO’s security umbrella, it could then work diplomatically to regain the lost territories.

“Ukraine with the regions under its control will become a NATO member, and the lost territories will be invited to join the alliance,” he explained.

Earlier this summer, Zelenskyy opened the door to a potential referendum to determine the terms of ending the conflict with Russia. He clarified that the territorial question is too complex to be decided solely by the president, noting, “This is contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine. Those in power have no official right to give up their territories.” He further stressed, “In order to give up parts of the regions, the Ukrainian people must want it.”

Meanwhile, Russian authorities remain strongly opposed to Ukraine's NATO membership. President Vladimir Putin, in June, cited Ukraine's refusal to join the alliance as one of the conditions for potential negotiations, alongside demands to recognize Crimea and other newly annexed regions as part of Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has dismissed the possibility of partial NATO membership for Ukraine. Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik stated, “The accession of any part of Ukraine to NATO is unacceptable and can only be seen as attempts to further escalate the conflict.”

On October 4, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suggested that Ukraine’s membership could still be considered, even if some of its territories remain temporarily occupied. He noted that solutions to the issue of collective security under Article 5 might be found, despite the objections of countries like the United States and Germany, as long as there is “a line that is not necessarily an internationally recognized border.”

A few days later, Italian media reported that Zelenskyy might be open to a ceasefire along the current front line without officially recognizing new borders, in exchange for Western security guarantees similar to those given to Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. However, Zelenskyy responded on October 10, clarifying that a ceasefire for security guarantees was not a topic of discussion. On October 19, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanyshyna, expressed confidence that Ukraine would eventually be invited into NATO based on its 1991 borders.

As of mid-October, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Ukraine is closer to NATO membership than ever before. He remarked on October 17 that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is irreversible, with the only remaining question being the time frame for accession.

By Tamilla Hasanova