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Ukraine has indicated it is prepared to abandon its long-held ambition of joining NATO in exchange for legally binding Western security guarantees, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of talks with U.S. envoys and European allies in Berlin.

Zelenskyy described the proposal as a concession by Kyiv after years of pressing for NATO membership as the strongest deterrent against future Russian aggression. He said security guarantees from the United States, European partners, and other allies could serve as an alternative framework to prevent another invasion.

“From the very beginning, Ukraine desired to join NATO; these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the U.S. and Europe did not support this direction,” Zelenskyy said in response to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

“Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the U.S., Article 5-like guarantees for us from the U.S., and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries, Canada, Japan, are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion,” he said. “And it is already a compromise from our part,” Zelenskyy added, stressing that any such guarantees must be legally binding.

If materialized, this move would mark a significant shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against Russian attacks and has enshrined that aspiration in its constitution. While the proposal aligns with one of Moscow’s stated war aims, Kyiv has continued to reject demands to cede territory to Russia.

Empfang der ukrainischen und der amerikanischen Delegation im Kanzleramt.

Wir wollen einen dauerhaften Frieden in der Ukraine. Es liegen schwierige Fragen vor uns, aber wir sind entschlossen, voranzukommen.

Ukrainische Interessen sind auch europäische Interessen. pic.twitter.com/OrCVAkRQw4

— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) December 14, 2025

The talks between the Ukrainian and the American side continued for more than five hours, and both sides will resume discussions on Monday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said.

Pressure for a Settlement Grows

The talks in Berlin come amid increased pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to reach a settlement to end the war. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in the German capital for discussions involving Ukrainian and European representatives.

The decision to send Witkoff, who has previously led negotiations with both Kyiv and Moscow, was seen as a signal that Washington believes progress may be possible nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine, Europe, and the United States were reviewing a 20-point plan that could culminate in a ceasefire. He reiterated that Kyiv was not holding direct talks with Moscow.

A truce along the current front lines could be considered fair, Zelenskyy said, while noting that Russia continues to demand a Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions still under Kyiv’s control.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting Zelenskyy and European leaders for a summit in Berlin, the latest in a series of high-level meetings aimed at coordinating allied positions and maintaining support for Ukraine.

Russian Demands and Western Proposals

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine formally renounce its NATO ambitions and withdraw troops from roughly 10% of the Donbas region that remains under Ukrainian control.

Moscow has also insisted that Ukraine adopt a neutral status and that no NATO troops be stationed on its territory.

Russian sources have previously said Putin wants a written pledge by major Western powers not to expand the U.S.-led NATO alliance eastward, effectively ruling out membership for Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and other former Soviet republics.

Britain, France, and Germany have been working to refine U.S. peace proposals, which in a draft disclosed last month called for Kyiv to cede additional territory, abandon its NATO ambitions, and accept limits on its armed forces. European allies have described the current phase as a “critical moment” that could shape Ukraine’s future.

Despite diplomatic activity, no breakthrough has been announced. Putin hosted Witkoff and Kushner at a meeting earlier in December that the Kremlin described as “constructive,” though officials said no major agreements were reached.

Continued Fighting and Infrastructure Attacks

Even as talks proceed, Russian attacks on Ukraine have continued. Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands of people remained without electricity following recent strikes on energy, heating, and water infrastructure across wide areas of the country.

“Russia is dragging out the war and seeks to inflict as much harm as possible on our people,” he said, posting images of burning and destroyed buildings.

Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of deliberately targeting the power grid to deprive civilians of heat and water during winter. Russian strikes have also hit ports in the Black Sea region, damaging Turkish-owned vessels, including a ship carrying food supplies.

An attack on the port city of Odesa set grain silos ablaze, according to Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba. Zelenskyy said the strikes “had no military purpose whatsoever”.

Black Sea Tensions and Regional Concerns

Fighting has intensified in and around the Black Sea, raising concerns among regional powers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against further escalation, saying the Black Sea should not become an “area of confrontation”.

“Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea,” Erdogan said, calling for a “limited ceasefire” covering ports and energy facilities. Turkiye controls the Bosphorus Strait, a vital route for Ukrainian grain exports and Russian oil shipments.

The Black Sea has been a recurring flashpoint in the conflict, with repeated attacks on shipping and port infrastructure threatening global food supplies and regional stability.

NATO Warnings and Kremlin Response

The war has sharply worsened relations between Russia and the West and prompted renewed warnings from NATO leaders. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a speech in Berlin that the alliance should be “prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured” and asserted that “we are Russia’s next target”.

The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed such statements. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Rutte’s remarks, saying they reflected a misunderstanding of history.

“This seems like a statement by a representative of a generation that has managed to forget what World War Two was actually like,” Peskov told state television reporter Pavel Zarubin. “They have no understanding, and unfortunately, Mr. Rutte, making such irresponsible statements, simply does not understand what he is talking about,” he added.

Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is seeking a “dignified” peace that includes firm guarantees Russia would not attack again. While offering to relinquish NATO membership as part of a broader settlement, he has maintained that Ukraine will not agree to territorial concessions or accept security arrangements that lack binding commitments from its partners.

As diplomats continue talks in Berlin, the outcome remains uncertain, with heavy fighting ongoing and deep differences persisting between the positions of Kyiv and Moscow.