Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that a ceasefire could be achievable if NATO extends its protection to the parts of Ukraine under Kyiv’s control. This would allow for a temporary resolution to the war, with hopes of negotiating the return of occupied territories through diplomatic means in the future.
In an interview aired Friday night with Sky News’ chief correspondent, Stuart Ramsay, Zelensky was asked about reports claiming that one of US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed strategies for ending the conflict could involve Ukraine conceding the territories seized by Russia in exchange for NATO membership. Zelensky responded that the key to ending the “hot phase of the war” would be ensuring that the unoccupied parts of Ukraine are brought under NATO’s umbrella, provided the alliance recognizes Ukraine's internationally recognized borders.
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While Zelensky appeared to accept that the eastern regions currently under Russian control may remain outside such a deal for now, he stressed the urgency of bringing Ukraine’s controlled territories under NATO protection.
“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 told Sky News. “We need to do it fast. And then on the [occupied] territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back in a diplomatic way.”
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He further explained that a ceasefire would be essential to ensure Russian President Vladimir Putin would not attempt to reclaim more Ukrainian land, adding that NATO should “immediately” cover the areas still under Kyiv’s control to prevent further Russian advances.
Ukraine Needs Its ‘Biggest Supporter’
This interview marks Zelensky’s first with British media since Trump’s election victory earlier this month. When asked about the incoming US president, Zelensky emphasized the importance of cooperation with the new administration. “We have to work with the new president,” he said, stressing the need to engage directly with Trump to ensure Ukraine has "the biggest supporter" possible.
Zelensky also acknowledged the danger of relying on intermediaries and warned against allowing others to disrupt direct communication.
"I want to work with [Trump] directly because there are different voices from people around him. And that’s why we need not to [allow] anybody around to destroy our communication," he added. "It will be not helpful and will be destructive. We have to try to find the new model. I want to share with him ideas and I want to hear from him."
Zelensky and Trump spoke most recently before the president-elect’s victory in Sept. 2024. The Ukrainian president expressed a desire to continue the dialogue with Trump, calling their initial conversation "very warm, good, constructive... It was a very good meeting and it was an important first step—now we have to prepare some meetings."
A Shift in Strategy Due to a New Political Landscape
Zelensky’s comments about a potential ceasefire dependent on ceding territory to Russia represent a shift in his long-standing view of fighting until Ukraine controlled all its land up until its 1991 borders. Throughout the war, Zelensky has been resolute that Ukraine would never cede its occupied land, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. According to Ukraine’s constitution, Zelensky has consistently maintained that giving up any part of Ukraine is not an option unless residents of the occupied areas agree to secede.
The "victory plan" that Zelensky debuted around the world earlier this year reiterated his stance on refusing to cede any Ukrainian territory as part of a peace agreement.
Moscow has made it clear that it expects any peace deal to involve Ukraine relinquishing control of the occupied regions. Putin has indicated that it will not give up any of the land it has seized and has suggested that Ukraine's willingness to cede territory is a prerequisite for negotiations.
Though Ukraine has held firm in its defense of its borders for over 1,000 days of war, recent months have seen the situation become increasingly difficult. Russian forces have made slow but steady gains in the east, while Ukrainian forces continue to struggle to retake lost ground.
“We can end this war in 2025, together,” Zelensky said. “It can be quick…. It depends on the will.”
He explained that Ukrainians still had the desire to reclaim their lands, but their ability to fight and willingness to negotiate is dependent on their partners. “[Peace] will not be simple, but it can be in the coming year… But it depends on the decisions and will of some other leaders,” he said.
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