Name: Ukraine offers to drop NATO bid at Berlin peace talks
Uploaded: 2025-12-15T08:20:02.093Z
Duration: 1 min 16 s
Description: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed abandoning NATO ambitions in exchange for Western security guarantees during peace talks in Berlin. The move marks a major shift as Kyiv seeks to end the war with Russia without ceding territory.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed abandoning NATO ambitions in exchange for Western security guarantees during peace talks in Berlin. The move marks a major shift as Kyiv seeks to end the war with Russia without ceding territory.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to withdraw Ukraine's bid to join NATO in return for security guarantees from Western nations. This proposal was made ahead of five hours of peace talks with U.S. diplomats in Berlin, representing a major shift in Ukraine's longstanding policy to seek NATO membership as protection against Russian aggression.

The talks, attended by U.S. and European officials, come as Russia has repeatedly demanded Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and maintain neutrality. While significant progress was reported by U.S. envoy Steve Whitkoff, full details of the negotiations have not been disclosed. Ukrainian officials are reviewing draft documents, with further comments expected after the talks conclude.

Ukraine offers to drop NATO bid at Berlin peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is offered to drop his country's bid to join the NATO military alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees. The proposal came ahead of five hours of peace talks with U.S. diplomats in Berlin on Sunday. It marks a major shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against future Russian attacks, and even has the aspiration in its constitution. The shift also meets one of Russia's war aims, although Kiev continues to hold firm against Moscow. U.S. envoy Steve Whitkoff said a lot of progress was made in Berlin, though full details were not divulged. Ukraine said Zelensky would comment on the talks on Monday once they were completed, with officials considering the draft documents. A Reuters source said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made brief remarks before leaving the two sides to negotiate. Other European leaders are also due in Germany for talks on Monday. Ukrainian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine drop its NATO bid, pulled troops from the remaining parts of the Donbass region that it still controls, and remain neutral with no NATO forces on its soil. Moscow's sources said earlier this year that Putin also wants a written pledge from Western powers to halt NATO's eastward expansion, ruling out membership for Ukraine and other former Soviet states.

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Ukraine offers to drop NATO bid at Berlin peace talks

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Ukraine Invasion