President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was willing to consider dropping its demands for full NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees.
“It’s a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn’t know what to do with us with regard to NATO, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn’t want further NATO expansion,” Zelenskyy said late Monday in an interview with Ukrainian television channels.
Ukraine is well aware it cannot be admitted to NATO at the moment because they “do not want to fight with Russia,” Zelenskyy said, adding, “Okay, what other security guarantees are possible?”
Zelenskyy was adamant that he needed to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putinin order to understand whether Russia even intends to stop the war. Putin has so far ignored Zelenskyy repeated requests for direct talks.
On Monday, Zelenskyy said again that he is ready to meet Putin “in any format” but would also not bow to ultimatums from Russia to surrender.
The president also suggested that after a cease-fire agreement, Kyiv would be ready to discuss the status of Crimea and the eastern Donbas region held by Russian-backed separatists.
However, Zelenskyy said he plans to put any agreements reached with Russia to a nationwide referendum for public approval.
Ukraine intelligence claims Zelenskyy assassination bid foiled
Ukrainian counter-intelligence has scuppered a possible attempt on the life of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to local media reports.
News agency UNIAN reported that a man belonging to group of Russian saboteurs was arrested in Uzhhorod, a city in the far west of the country.
The group of up to 25 men planned on pretending to be members of the Ukrainian armed forces in a bid to make their way towards Kyiv. The report states that the group was also planning on carrying out acts of sabotage.
Ukraine’s government has claimed that Russia has sent a number of assassination squads to kill Zelenskyy.
The report could not be independently verified.
