Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his readiness to end the “hot phase” of the conflict with Russia if Ukraine is granted swift membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to reports from Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.
“If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to put the territory of Ukraine that is under our control under the NATO umbrella. We need to do it fast,” Zelenskyy was cited as saying. He emphasized that a rapid NATO invitation should recognize Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.
Zelenskyy suggested that territories currently under Russian control could be reclaimed through diplomatic means in the future. He stressed the importance of a ceasefire to ensure that Russia “does not return” to seize more Ukrainian territory.
Meanwhile, the Russian response to Zelenskyy’s proposal has been notably subdued. The Kremlin has remained silent on the remarks, offering no official commentary.
Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, reacted on his Telegram channel, stating, “Moscow will no longer allow Western countries to arm Kyiv under the guise of an agreement.” He urged Ukrainian politicians to abandon their aspirations to join NATO, adding, “Kyiv is seeking to join NATO; this is the key to moving forward, not the end of the war. The idea of freezing the conflict is also unacceptable.”
In related developments, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that in the fall of 2024, the Russian army liberated 88 settlements in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, and Kharkiv regions, as well as the Kursk region, which Ukraine had launched an incursion into earlier this year.
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Zelenskyy puts NATO membership condition for ceasefire with Russia
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