ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called bilateral security guarantees with the US, Europe, and other countries a “compromise” on Ukraine’s NATO accession.

In comments to journalists, Zelenskyy recalled his country’s long-standing position to join the alliance as this provided it with “real security guarantees,” but said some of Kyiv’s partners in the US and Europe did not support this course.

He said Ukraine is now pursuing bilateral security guarantees with Washington, namely “Article 5-like guarantees,” referring to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, as well as guarantees from European and other countries, including Canada and Japan.

“These security guarantees are an opportunity for us to prevent another wave of Russian aggression. And this is already a compromise on our part,” Zelenskyy said, according to the RBC-Ukraine news agency.

Zelenskyy’s statements mark a major shift in Kyiv’s approach to NATO membership, an ambition which was enshrined in Ukraine’s Constitution following a parliamentary vote to introduce constitutional amendments back in 2019.

Russia has regularly voiced opposition to Ukraine’s accession to NATO, with President Vladimir Putin defining such a step as a "direct threat" to Moscow's security just days before the start of the over three-and-a-half-year war in February 2022.

The statement came amid ongoing discussions on a US-proposed peace plan, which are set to continue in Germany's capital Berlin, where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office announced he will host Zelenskyy and several European leaders on Monday to discuss the latest developments in peace talks.

German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement Friday that Merz will first hold bilateral talks with Zelenskyy on German-Ukrainian economic cooperation and the status of ongoing peace negotiations.

"In the evening (on Monday), numerous European heads of state and government, as well as top EU and NATO representatives, will join the discussions," Kornelius added, without providing further details about the meeting’s participants or its agenda.

Commenting on the proposed plan, Zelenskyy said the document will not please everyone and that it contains many compromises "in one format or another."

He reminded that Ukraine sent an updated plan to the US, regarding which he has not yet received a response from Washington, but heard several messages through Kyiv's negotiating team.

"I receive all signals and will be ready for dialogue, which will begin today," Zelenskyy further said, adding: "Today we have a Ukraine-US day in Berlin. Of course, I will separately meet with Chancellor Merz and will probably meet with some of our European leaders later in the evening."

The Ukrainian president also said that Kyiv will have to look for "another path" to end the ongoing conflict should current diplomatic efforts fail, noting that Ukraine has no direct contacts with Russia.

He went on to describe Russia's demand for Ukraine's withdrawal from the Donbas region as “not fair,” expressing that a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow along the current front line would be a fair and realistic option.

On Friday, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told the local Kommersant newspaper that a ceasefire in Ukraine can only take place following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas region.