In an interview with ABC, the Ukrainian president said he was ready for a “compromise” on the status of separatist territories in eastern Ukraine, whose independence was unilaterally recognized by Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly before the outbreak of war in late February.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with the American ABC channel, said that he no longer wants to insist on Ukraine joining NATO, which is one of the official motives for the Russian invasion of his country. Another obvious openness to Moscow is that he is open to a “compromise” on the status of the separatist territories in eastern Ukraine, whose independence Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally recognized shortly before the start of the war.
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“As for NATO, I moderated my position on this issue somewhat when we realized “that NATO is not ready to accept Ukraine,” he said in this interview, which was broadcast on Monday evening. “The Alliance is afraid of everything controversial and confrontation with Russia,” he said. He added that he did not want to be president of “a country that is on its knees begging for such membership.”
“Security Guarantees”
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and is waging war in the former Soviet republic. Moscow says it needs assurances that Kyiv will never join NATO, the transatlantic alliance created to protect Europe from the Soviet threat at the start of the Cold War and gradually expanded to the gates of Russia. The Kremlin sees these expansions and the military presence of Western allies near Russia’s borders as threatening. President Putin also recognized, shortly before his invasion, two pro-Russian separatist “republics” in eastern Ukraine that have been at war with Kyiv’s forces since 2014. Now he is demanding that Ukraine recognize their independence as well.
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When asked about this Russian demand, President Zelensky said he was open to dialogue on ABC. “I’m talking about security guarantees. I think that with regard to these temporarily occupied territories”, “which were recognized only by Russia”, “it is possible to discuss and find a compromise on the future of these territories,” he explained. “For me, it is important how people who are in these territories and want to be part of Ukraine will live,” he continued, believing that the issue was “more difficult than just admitting.” “This is another ultimatum and we reject ultimatums. We need President Putin to speak up, start a dialogue, and not live in a bubble,” he said.
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