Zelenskyy Offers NATO Opt-Out for Security, Rejects Land Concession

BERLIN (Scoopliner.com) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated a willingness to forgo his country's aspirations to join NATO if Western nations provide security guarantees. This proposal was made during discussions with U.S. representatives regarding a resolution to the ongoing conflict. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. Zelenskyy firmly rejected the U.S.'s suggestion of ceding territory to Russia.

The talks included Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for former U.S. President Donald Trump, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Zelenskyy shared images of the meeting, showing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz seated next to him, facing the U.S. delegation.

Prior to the meeting, Zelenskyy addressed journalists' questions via WhatsApp, stating that because the U.S. and some European countries have opposed Ukraine's NATO membership, Kyiv is now looking to the West for security assurances comparable to those granted to NATO members.

Zelenskyy stated, "These security guarantees present an opportunity to avert another wave of Russian aggression," adding, "This stance already represents a compromise on our part."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently cited Ukraine's NATO aspirations as a significant threat to Moscow's security, using it as a justification for the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022. The Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine must abandon its bid for NATO membership as a prerequisite for any potential peace agreement.

Zelenskyy stressed that any security assurances must be legally binding and have the support of the U.S. Congress. He also mentioned he was awaiting an update from his team following a meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. military officials in Stuttgart, Germany.

As Trump pushes for a swift resolution to the conflict, Washington has been attempting to reconcile the demands of both sides for months. The pursuit of viable compromises has encountered significant hurdles, notably the control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, a large portion of which is currently under Russian occupation.

Putin is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the portions of the Donetsk region still under their control as a key condition for peace. Kyiv has rejected this demand.

Zelenskyy said that the U.S. proposed that Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and establish a demilitarized free economic zone there, but he rejected this proposal as impractical.

"I don't believe this is equitable, because who would oversee this economic zone?" he questioned. He suggested that if a buffer zone along the contact line or an economic zone were established, and only a police mission was deemed necessary with troop withdrawals, then Russian troops should also withdraw an equal distance into occupied territories.

Zelenskyy called the issue "very sensitive" and advocated for a freeze along the current line of contact, stating, "Today, a fair and feasible option is to maintain our current positions."

According to Putin's foreign affairs advisor, Yuri Ushakov, Russian police and national guard forces would remain in parts of the Donetsk region even if it were to become a demilitarized zone under a future peace agreement, Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant.

Ushakov cautioned that finding a compromise could be a lengthy process, noting that U.S. proposals that considered Russian demands had been "worsened" by changes suggested by Ukraine and its European allies.

In remarks broadcast on Russian state TV on Sunday, Ushakov stated that "the contributions of Ukrainians and Europeans to these documents are unlikely to be constructive," warning that Moscow will "have very strong objections."

Ushakov added that the territorial issue was a key point of discussion in Moscow when Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin earlier in the month. "The Americans know and understand our position," he said.

Zelenskyy said he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday just before the talks with Trump’s envoys, thanking him on X for his support and adding that “we are coordinating closely and working together for the sake of our shared security.”

Macron pledged on X that “France is, and will remain, at Ukraine’s side to build a robust and lasting peace — one that can guarantee Ukraine’s security and sovereignty, and that of Europe, over the long term.”

Merz stated on Saturday that "the decades of ‘Pax Americana’ are largely over for us in Europe and for us in Germany as well," adding that he has spearheaded European efforts to support Ukraine alongside Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

He cautioned that Putin's objective is "a fundamental change to the borders in Europe, the restoration of the old Soviet Union within its borders."

"If Ukraine falls, he won’t stop," Merz warned during a party conference in Munich on Saturday.

Putin has denied any plans to restore the Soviet Union or to attack any European allies.

**Aerial Attacks Exchanged by Russia and Ukraine**

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched ballistic missiles and 138 attack drones at Ukraine overnight. According to the air force, 110 were intercepted, but missile and drone strikes were reported in six locations.

Zelenskyy said Sunday that hundreds of thousands of families were still without power in the south, east and northeast regions and work was continuing to restore electricity, heat and water to multiple regions following a large-scale attack the previous night.

The Ukrainian president stated that Russia had launched over 1,500 strike drones, nearly 900 guided aerial bombs, and 46 missiles of various types at Ukraine in the past week.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported that air defenses downed 235 Ukrainian drones late Saturday and early Sunday.

In the Belgorod region, a drone injured a man and set his house ablaze in the village of Yasnye Zori, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Uryupinsk in the Volgograd region, causing a fire, according to regional Gov. Andrei Bocharov.

In the Krasnodar region, Ukrainian drones attacked the town of Afipsky, where an oil refinery is located. Authorities reported that explosions shattered windows in residential buildings, but there was no reported damage to the refinery.