Recent news about the discussion of the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO in exchange for territorial concessions from Russia has caused a significant resonance among both political analysts and the public. According to media reports, the possibility of adopting such an agreement is being considered in Europe and Washington, especially in the context of the possible return of Donald Trump to the post of US president, who in the past expressed his readiness to quickly end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
NATO is considering a scenario in which Ukraine becomes part of the alliance, ceding occupied territories to the Russian Federation, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports.
It is reported that at the last NATO summit in Brussels, the option of accepting Ukraine in exchange for its territorial concessions was not officially discussed, however, according to the publication, this topic is raised "in all informal conversations.".
Journalists write that such an "exchange" is viewed by a number of experts as one of the possible options for ending the war.
In addition, the publication notes that the EU and the White House fear that Donald Trump, who has repeatedly promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine if he comes to power, could become US president again.
“Essentially, the plan is to leave the occupied territories to the Kremlin. Crimea and four other regions captured over the past two years. And then strengthen the borders. By forcing the rest of Ukraine to join NATO,” the journalists believe.
The article also says that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated the need to make military support permanent, rather than tied to changing policies, precisely with this in mind.
According to journalists, this is necessary, in particular, so that if the aforementioned scenario is implemented, Ukraine can preserve as much of its territory as possible.
As a reminder, on April 4, Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO partners could provide Ukraine with more substantial assistance to liberate the occupied territories. He noted that establishing long-term peace in Ukraine involves ensuring the country's powerful armed forces.
In addition, the NATO Secretary General said that there is a difference between inviting Ukraine to join the EU and the North Atlantic Alliance, because joining the defense alliance requires guarantees that the war will not start again.
