Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is changing his rhetoric regarding the war with Russia. His statements about the possibility of diplomatic solutions to return the occupied territories and the idea of Ukraine's membership in NATO even without the liberation of all regions are causing a mixed reaction in society and abroad. Is this a step towards peace or a forced reaction to military and political realities?
During a series of interviews, Zelensky expressed his willingness to consider ending the war on the condition of security guarantees for Ukraine, including through NATO accession. He recently firmly stated the need for the full return of the territories, but now the president notes that the Ukrainian army does not yet have enough resources to liberate all the occupied regions.
"Our army does not have enough strength to liberate the occupied territories. We must find diplomatic solutions," Zelensky said in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News .
The idea of temporarily "freezing" the conflict is gaining weight, but Zelensky himself emphasized that this is possible only from a position of strength, because without this, Russian aggression may resume in the future.
One of the central elements of the new strategy is Zelensky's desire to integrate Ukraine into NATO even under current conditions. However, the prospects for membership look uncertain, as the Alliance is not ready to accept a country with an unresolved conflict.
Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has hinted that even a temporary transfer of occupied territories to Russia might be acceptable if Kyiv receives serious security guarantees. However, such a compromise remains a sore point for Ukrainian society.
Support for prolonged hostilities among Ukrainians is declining. A Gallup shows that 52% of the population favor negotiations, up from just 27% last year. This suggests that Ukrainian society is increasingly looking for alternatives to endless confrontation.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for a focus on increasing military assistance to Ukraine. At the same time, the European Union has promised to support Kyiv “as long as necessary.” But the financial support Ukraine needs is staggering — the government estimates it will need 120 billion euros for 2024 alone.
If Donald Trump's administration, if he returns to power, cuts aid, as he has repeatedly promised, Ukraine may find itself in a difficult situation.
Russia, as before, shows no interest in peace negotiations. The Kremlin is spending significant resources on continuing the war, although daily losses exceed a thousand soldiers. Moscow insists that Kyiv must abandon its intentions to join NATO, and only this can become the basis for a peaceful settlement.
