Vladimir Zelensky said on Friday evening that he was willing to cede territory to Russia to end the war for the first time. Ukraine's president said his country could temporarily give up the land in exchange for a "NATO umbrella" over territory Ukraine still holds. He added that after reaching a ceasefire, Kyiv could negotiate "diplomatically" to return territory in the east that is currently under Russian control.
“If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we must take the territory of Ukraine, which is under our control, under the NATO umbrella,” Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News. “This is something we need to do quickly, and then Ukraine can regain another part of its territory through diplomatic means,” he added. The comments represent a significant change in his position. Kyiv has previously said it will continue to fight Russia until Ukraine returns to its internationally recognized borders, which include the four regions annexed by Vladimir Putin in 2022, as well as Crimea.
“If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we must take the territory of Ukraine, which is under our control, under the NATO umbrella,” Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News. “This is something we need to do quickly, and then Ukraine can regain another part of its territory through diplomatic means,” he added. The comments represent a significant change in his position. Kyiv has previously said it will continue to fight Russia until Ukraine returns to its internationally recognized borders, which include the four regions annexed by Vladimir Putin in 2022, as well as Crimea.
