Zelenskyy floats dropping NATO bid for legally binding guarantees
Ukraine-U.S. talks in Berlin, Dec. 14, 2025 (Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly offered to drop Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO in exchange for robust security guarantees from Western partners, Reuters reported shortly after the first round of peace talks in Berlin on Dec. 14.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had initially sought NATO membership as the most reliable form of security, but acknowledged that U.S. and some of its European allies did not support this path.
"From the beginning, Ukraine's goal was to join NATO because it provides real security guarantees. Some partners in the United States and Europe did not support this direction,” he told reporters.
"Therefore, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US — guarantees similar to Article 5 — along with security guarantees from our European partners and other countries, such as Canada and Japan, are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion."
He described such an approach as "already a compromise" by Ukraine, stressing that any security guarantees must be legally binding.
Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said Zelenskyy would comment in more detail after the talks conclude on Monday Dec. 15, noting that officials are currently reviewing draft documents.
The meeting between Ukrainian and American delegations took place on Dec. 14 in Berlin and was also attended by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The US delegation included President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said “significant progress” was made during the five-hour talks, which are set to continue on Dec. 15.
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