Media: Zelensky is ready to give up NATO membership

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, before negotiations in Berlin, proposed to abandon Kyiv's aspiration to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from the West.

As reported by BAKU.WS, Reuters reports this.

According to the agency, there are no details yet about the hours-long negotiations between the politician and American representatives. They will continue discussions today. V.Zelensky's communications advisor Dmitry Litvin said that the head of state will comment on the results when they conclude.

"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction," noted V.Zelensky.

He called the change in position a "compromise" on Kyiv's part and said that alternative security guarantees should be legally binding and involve the participation of the US, Canada, Japan, and European countries.

Against this background, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recalled Ukraine's "bitter experience" when in 1994 it gave up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the US, and Britain.

"It remains to be seen to what extent this statement now made by V.Zelensky will correspond to reality and what preconditions must be met," he emphasized.

According to B.Pistorius, security guarantees without substantial US participation "are not worth much."