Ukraine's Zelenskyy Looking to Negotiate End to War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shifted his rhetoric in recent weeks to express a willingness to negotiate an end to the war to fight off Russia’s invasion of the country despite his past pledges to continue fighting until all of Ukraine’s land was free of Russian troops.

Zelenskyy said last month that Ukraine must pursue “diplomatic solutions," adding that the country’s “army lacks the strength” to force Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory. The Washington Post reported that Zelenskyy, in recent meetings with top US and European leaders, has shifted his focus to “lasting peace” for Ukraine by obtaining admittance into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or other forms of security guarantees.

One senior NATO diplomat, who spoke to the Post under the condition of anonymity, said that Zelenskyy must continue to demand that Ukraine be admitted into the alliance.

“From a Ukrainian perspective, it’s completely logical to push the issue because, of course, if you’re Ukrainian, the only security guarantee that you really attach value to is NATO membership,” the diplomat said, adding that Zelenskyy “will do everything to push” for NATO membership.

Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, told the Post that Zelenskyy’s government “understands things are going to change” once Trump reenters the White House.

“I do think for Zelenskyy, this frees him up from his locked-in position that they were going to fight until the 1991 borders no matter what,” McFaul continued. “He can now say, Well, I would’ve loved to have done that, but Trump has come in and things have changed.”

Some Ukrainian officials speculated that Zelenskyy’s change in rhetoric is a strategy to endear himself to the Trump White House, providing them hope of a negotiated end to the war while also leaving open the possibility of receiving more aid from the U.S. if Russia rejects a peace proposal.

“I put myself in his shoes, and what else is he supposed to do?” One Ukrainian official told the Post. “Should he tell Trump and America that we don’t need their help and we’ll just do it our way? I think he’s handling it perfectly.”

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