Open to ceasefire if Nato protects unoccupied areas, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested he’d accept a cease-fire with Russia that left parts of his country occupied in return for Nato security guarantees over the rest, the strongest signal yet that the Ukrainian leader is open to ending the war without regaining all territory.

Zelenskyy made the comments in an interview with Sky News broadcast Friday when asked about a scenario in which Nato security guarantees covered only territory controlled by Kyiv.

“If we want to stop the hot stage of war, we should take under Nato umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control. That’s what we need to do fast,” Zelenskyy said in the interview, according to a translation by Sky News. “And then Ukraine can get back the other part of its territory diplomatically.”

He added that no country has made such a proposal to Ukraine, and that it would be difficult to establish Nato protection for only part of a country. Members of Nato have resisted Ukraine’s aspirations to join the military alliance anytime soon because its provision for mutual defense would require them to send in their forces to repel any future attacks.

The nearly three-year war is heading for a turning point next year as Russian troops make steady advances from the east and US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to end the hostilities.

The US and Ukraine have long insisted that Russia not be able to keep forces in the country, a stance that’s harder to achieve in the short-term.

President Joe Biden has stepped up support in the final weeks of his administration, including allowing Kyiv to use US weapons deeper in Russia.

Those moves are intended to strengthen Zelenskyy’s hand in cease-fire talks, which Trump is expected to pursue.