Kathmandu — Ukraine has agreed to halt its ambition of joining NATO in exchange for firm security guarantees from Western partners, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday at the start of new talks in Berlin aimed at ending the war with Russia.
The negotiations are being hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During the talks in Berlin, Zelenskyy held separate meetings with Steve Witkoff, special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, and adviser Jared Kushner.
According to Reuters, Chancellor Merz delivered a brief opening statement before allowing the two delegations to continue their discussions. Zelenskyy said Ukraine, the United States, and European partners are reviewing a 20-point plan that could lead efforts toward a ceasefire. Other European leaders are also expected to attend the talks scheduled for Monday.
Ahead of the negotiations, Zelenskyy stated that security guarantees provided by the United States, Europe, and other allies could serve as an alternative to NATO membership. Responding to journalists’ questions via WhatsApp, he said Ukraine initially sought NATO membership because it offered real security guarantees, but some partners in the U.S. and Europe did not support that path.
He added that bilateral security guarantees from the United States—similar to NATO’s Article 5—along with commitments from European allies and countries such as Canada and Japan, present an opportunity to deter future Russian aggression. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s acceptance of this framework already represents a compromise and stressed that the security guarantees must be legally binding.
