Zelenskyy hints at truce in exchange for NATO membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that a ceasefire deal could be reached if the Ukrainian territory under Kiev's control was put "under the NATO umbrella" in a bid to stop the "hot stage of the war."

"No one has offered us to be in NATO for one part or another part of Ukraine. The fact is, it is a solution to stop the hot stage of the war because we can just give NATO membership to the part of Ukraine that is under our control," Zelenskyy told Sky News on Friday.

Zelenskyy stressed that the invitation "must be given to Ukraine within its internationally recognised border," but added that this had not been offered.

"If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control," he said.

He added: "We need to do it fast. And then on the (occupied) territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back in a diplomatic way."

He also noted that by law, recognising the occupied territories as Russian land is "impossible" as it is "against the constitution of Ukraine."

In addition to the territories in eastern Ukraine that Russia has captured since February 2022, when the current war began, there are also Crimea and Sevastopol, under Russian control since 2014 but internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.

Working with Trump

Asked his thoughts on US President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to return to the White House on January 20, he said they have to work with Trump in order to "have the biggest supporter."

Zelenskyy added that he wants to work with him directly because there are "different voices from people around him."

He said both met in September in New York and had a "very warm, good and constructive" conversation.

Trump has been vocally critical of sending more aid to Ukraine.

He long claimed he could end the war within one day after becoming president, although he never explained how he would do so.

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Source: TRT