Selenskyj discusses NATO membership: A plan for peace?

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj tested various options for a possible end of the war as part of a new podcast. He suggested that Ukraine could immediately become a NATO member, provided that in return it gave up the areas occupied by Russia in eastern Ukraine. Selenskyj emphasized that approval was only possible under certain conditions. A central element of his proposal is that NATO could operate in the areas that are under Ukrainian control, while other areas are not recognized.

In order to achieve peace,

selenskyj also called for extensive arms packages from the USA and the EU as security guarantees. He warned that without these guarantees, a new attack by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin would be likely. In order to increase the pressure on Russia, further sanctions are considered necessary to reduce Putin's war treasure. Selenskyj sees the need that the designated US President Donald Trump must move Putin to an armistice. At the same time, the Ukrainian general staff reported severe struggles in the Kursk region, where 42 armed clashes and 12 ongoing battles had occurred in the past few days.

new developments and security guarantees

The discussion about the "time after" in Ukraine is increasing. President Selenskyj recently said that the reconquest of the entire Ukrainian territory was not absolutely necessary for an armistice. He suggested that the areas under Ukrainian control could possibly be put under the NATO protective shield. In this context, the Foreign Minister of the 32 NATO countries met in Brussels to advise on the security guarantees for Ukraine.

NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte emphasized that it was necessary to put Ukraine into a position of strength before negotiations could begin. He also called for higher defense spending on the NATO member states. France and Great Britain also discuss the possibility of sending a "peace force" to monitor a demilitarized buffer zone. While Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed her support for peace, Chancellor Olaf Scholz contradicted the use of German soldiers in Ukraine. EU foreign commissioner Kaja Kallas was more open to possible measures and traveled to Kiev.