Zelenskyy signals willingness to drop NATO bid in Berlin talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to drop Ukraine’s long-standing ambition to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees, as part of high-level talks aimed at ending the war with Russia, officials said.

Zelenskyy held more than five hours of talks with US envoys in Berlin on December 14, with negotiations set to continue on December 15. The discussions were hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who made brief opening remarks before leaving the delegations to negotiate, according to a source. Other European leaders are expected in Germany for related talks, Caliber.Az reports via Reuters.

Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said progress had been made after meeting Zelenskyy alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, though details were not disclosed.

“A lot of progress was made,” Witkoff said.

Zelenskyy’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said the Ukrainian president would comment publicly once the talks conclude and that draft documents were under review.

“They went on for more than five hours and ended for today with an agreement to resume tomorrow morning,” Lytvyn told reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

Ahead of the talks, Zelenskyy publicly indicated readiness to compromise on NATO membership—an issue enshrined in Ukraine’s constitution and long viewed by Kyiv as a key safeguard against Russian aggression. The shift would meet one of Moscow’s core demands, although Ukraine has so far resisted ceding territory.

Witkoff said discussions covered a broad agenda.

“Representatives held in-depth discussions regarding the 20-point plan for peace, economic agendas, and more. A lot of progress was made, and they will meet again tomorrow morning,” he said in a post on X.

Zelenskyy stressed that NATO membership had always been Ukraine’s preferred option for security, but said alternatives were now being considered.

“From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the U.S. and Europe did not support this direction,” Zelenskyy said in response to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

He said Ukraine was seeking binding guarantees from Western partners.

“Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the U.S., Article 5-like guarantees for us from the U.S., and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries — Canada, Japan — are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion,” Zelenskiy said.

“And it is already a compromise on our part,” he added, stressing that such guarantees must be legally binding.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine formally renounce NATO membership, withdraw forces from parts of the Donbas still under Kyiv’s control, and adopt permanent neutrality. Moscow has also said NATO troops must not be stationed in Ukraine.

By Sabina Mammadli