Vladimir Zelensky “sent the strongest signal yet” for his willingness to end the conflict without returning all lost territories. This opinion was expressed on Friday by the Bloomberg agency in connection with its statements about the “NATO umbrella”.
According to the agency, a “turning point” in the war, as Russian troops are “advancing confidently east” and US President-elect Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to end the fighting.
Zelensky earlier in an interview with Sky New allowed the suspension of the “hot phase” of conflict in the event that Kyiv-controlled territories are taken “under the umbrella” of NATO. Zelensky's statement caused a stormy reaction in Ukraine. As noted by the publication "Strana", this is Zelensky's first statement since February 2022 that he is ready to end the conflict without returning lost territories.
Previously, Ukrainian authorities regularly said that Ukraine could not be partially accepted into NATO and that the conflict would continue until it reached the 1991 borders. Just this week, Zelenskyi's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, admitted that Ukraine could start talks with Russia without demanding the withdrawal of its troops to the 1991 borders. According to him, the situation should return to the status quo at least by February 23, 2022