Ukraine's relationship with NATO 'back on the table': Zelensky

Zelensky also warned of the dangers of Moscow's push to redraw "influence" in Europe and said the Kremlin was "betting everything" on this winter's military campaign.

Moscow has pounded Ukraine in the run-up to winter, with Russian President Vladimir Putin showing no sign of backing down.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met both Putin and Zelensky Thursday after two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, which ended with no breakthrough.

Negotiations did, however, lead to agreements that European countries join future talks on ending the war.

In Dublin on Friday, Europe chose five countries – France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Poland – to send representatives to the talks.

Strong combat experience

"The Americans raised a question: 'What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?' This was the first time this had been raised," Zelensky said, adding:

"After providing Ukraine with this kind of defence support, seeing this kind of development of our army and this strength in our defence, they cannot simply let Ukraine go."

He believed "NATO is back on the agenda" as Ukraine – with almost five years of combat experience – can make the alliance "stronger."

NATO and Washington have not yet commented.

Kyiv – seeking post-war support for its army – was in talks on "specific" guarantees from Western countries, Zelensky said. Before agreeing to anything, he added, he would ask Ukrainians "do we accept it or not?".

He insisted Ukraine would not recognise any land seized by Moscow's troops as Russian.

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Russia has consistently said Kyiv joining NATO is a red line and in 2022 launched its invasion, saying the West planned to incorporate Ukraine into the alliance.

Putin has for years logged grievances at NATO. Meeting US envoys this week, he ruled out agreeing to foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.

And throughout the negotiations, the Kremlin has ruled out wider ceasefires.

But Putin earlier this week proposed a "humanitarian " mission to the eastern town of Kostyantynivka – which Moscow announced it had seized in summer but where Kyiv says fighting continues.

Zelensky said this was a ploy to get Kyiv to withdraw from the embattled city and open the road to more settlements in the Donetsk region.

If Ukraine gave up Kostyantynivka, "their next steps will be our other cities in Donbas. That is the thinking behind this idea", he added.

Energy ceasefire rejected

Moscow's troops have inched westwards but have been unable to seize the whole of the Donetsk region.

Moscow, Zelensky said, had also rejected an energy ceasefire at the Abu Dhabi talks.

Russia has tried to reframe negotiations on ending the war – Europe's worst since WWII – into a conversation on the continent's wider security.

In 2021, before its Ukraine invasion, Moscow issued an ultimatum to the West to pull back NATO troops from eastern Europe.

This week, Moscow's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said the Kremlin's aim now was for a "new, modern Yalta" – referring to the 1945 conference in which Western leaders divided Europe with Joseph Stalin.

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The European leaders have reacted coolly to the propsal for a new security architecture. "We do not need to discuss that, it already exists," Germany's Friedrich Merz said Friday.

Zelensky and his European allies have insisted that securing a ceasefire must be a priority in any talks.

"We cannot turn everything upside down and start by talking about changing the security framework in the world," Zelensky said.

"This war must be ended first."
Moscow's "idea of a redistribution of power in Europe" is "very dangerous... it is precisely things like this that lead to wars and escalations", he warned.

US President Donald Trump's administration has for almost two years tried to reach a breakthrough in talks between Russia and Ukraine.

(with AFP)