President Volodymyr Zelensky said over the weekend that he wanted an early end War with RussiaThe annexation of Ukraine meant that the occupied lands could later be retrieved through diplomacy NATO membership of Kyiv sure
It marks a shift from his previous stance, where he said the end of the war was contingent on Russia returning seized Ukrainian territory.
So why has Zelensky changed his stance and what’s next?
What did Zelensky say about ending the war in Ukraine?
In an interview with Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay published on November 29, Zelensky said the “hot phase” of the war could end if NATO offered security guarantees to the part of Ukraine currently controlled by Kyiv.
He said that the return of the lands currently occupied by Russia can be negotiated later diplomatically. The Ukrainian leader reiterated this position in an interview published by Japanese news agency Kyodo News on Monday.
“If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take the territory of Ukraine under our control under the NATO umbrella,” he told Sky News.
“We need to do it fast. And then on the (occupied) territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back diplomatically,” he said.
He told Sky News that the ceasefire was needed to guarantee that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not return to take more territory.
Russia has taken about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory since 2014. This includes Crimea. Russia took over In 2014.
Since February 2022, when Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has captured Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and large parts. ZaporozhyeAnd announced the acquisition of these areas in September 2022.
Has Zelensky’s position on ending the war changed?
Yes. Zelenskyy’s recent interviews are the first time he has laid out a plan for ending the war that does not include returning Russian-captured territory to Ukraine.
“This is certainly a major compromise by Zelensky on territory, but I think it reflects a harsh reality,” Timothy Ash, a fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, told Al Jazeera.
Before this, Zelensky stressed That the peace deal will not go through unless Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories is rescinded.
In July, he told French outlet Le Monde that the annexed territories could join Russia if they voted to do so in a free and fair referendum. However, in order to hold this referendum, Ukraine needs to regain control of these areas.
Why has Zelensky changed his plan?
Zelenskiy made a rare admission to Kyodo News that it is difficult for the Ukrainian army to regain land seized from Russia through military means.
“Our army lacks the power to do that. That is true,” he said. “We need to find diplomatic solutions.”
His remarks also come after the Republican leader Donald Trump won The United States election last month. Trump’s election signals a shift in the US approach toward Ukraine.
The US, led by President Joe Biden, is providing the largest military aid to Ukraine. According to the US State Department, Washington has provided $64 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022.
The US has provided Ukraine with high-precision weapons ATACM long-range missiles But only recently did Russia allow them to be used on targets.
While Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine remains unclear, he fears in Kyiv Cut aid – or stop it altogether. According to analysts, without US help, Ukrainian forces will struggle to fight the rapidly intensifying war. In addition to an exchange of drone strikes, Russian forces are seizing villages in eastern Ukraine amid efforts to seize the industrial Donbass region.
In addition, Russian forces have been strengthened North Korean forces Ukraine, the US and South Korea are said to belong to the war front.
What does Zelenskyy want?
Zelenskyy told Sky News he wanted to work and communicate directly with Trump, describing their September meeting as “warm, good, constructive”.
Ash, the researcher, said a critical issue for Ukraine is that any peace deal must secure territory that remains under Kyiv’s control. “If not, Putin will see an opportunity to attack again at a later date.”
Public opinion in Ukraine is also changing. More and more Ukrainians are eager for a quick end to the war rather than a complete victory.
According to a Gallup poll released Nov. 19, 52 percent of Ukrainians want the war to end “as soon as possible,” even if it involves giving up territory. Only 38 percent want Ukraine to “fight until victory” — a dramatic drop from 73 percent in 2022.
What is the status of Ukraine’s NATO membership bid?
Ukraine has been pushing for NATO membership with increasing urgency in recent months. Membership in the military alliance is an important part of Zelensky’s “peace plan”.
On Sunday, he called on the outgoing Biden administration to convince NATO allies to invite Ukraine to the alliance at a NATO meeting in Brussels this week.
NATO members have promised Ukraine An “irreversible” path to membership.
However, NATO allies are skeptical of accepting Ukraine while it is at war with Russia. Because Ukraine being part of NATO immediately means that the alliance as a whole is at war with Russia.
US Vice President-elect JD Vance explained some of the details Trump’s potential plan To End the Ukraine War, in an interview for The Shawn Ryan Show, which aired in September. Vance said the plan would involve Russia getting a “guarantee of neutrality from Ukraine,” where Kyiv will not join NATO.
Trump’s Newly-Nominated Special Envoy for the Russia-Ukraine War Keith KelloggNATO leaders wrote in April that Ukraine’s membership should be put on hold to persuade Putin to participate in peace talks.
