Zelenskyy says NATO guarantees can end 'hot stage' of war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said an connection of NATO rank to the territory nether Kyiv's power would extremity the "hot signifier of the war" successful Ukraine, but immoderate connection to articulation the subject confederation should beryllium extended to each parts of the state that autumn wrong internationally recognized borders.

About one-fifth of Ukraine's territory is presently nether Russian control.

In an interrogation with Britain's Sky News aired connected Friday, Zelenskyy implied that helium would beryllium consenting to hold to regain that territory if a woody with NATO could guarantee the information of the remainder of Ukraine and extremity warring crossed the state since Russia's full-scale penetration successful February 2022.

"If we privation to halt the blistery signifier of the war, we should instrumentality nether NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we person nether our control," Zelenskyy said.

"That's what we request to bash fast, and past Ukraine tin get backmost the different portion of its territory diplomatically," helium added.

Zelenskyy, however, insisted immoderate connection to articulation NATO indispensable beryllium fixed to the full of Ukraine: "The invitation indispensable beryllium fixed to Ukraine wrong its internationally recognized borders. You can't springiness an invitation to conscionable 1 portion of a country."

NATO's reluctance to invitation Ukraine in

An invitation for Ukraine to articulation NATO is simply a cardinal portion of Zelenskyy's alleged "victory plan," which he presented to Western allies successful October. The program is seen arsenic a mode for Ukraine to fortify its manus successful immoderate negotiations with Moscow.

However, the United States and Germany, which are Ukraine's main supporters and cardinal NATO nations, are blocking a accelerated way for Ukraine into the Western defence alliance.

Earlier this week, NATO's caller Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said the confederation "needs to spell further" to assistance Ukraine arsenic it fights Russia.

Military assistance to Ukraine and steps toward an extremity to the warfare are expected to beryllium precocious connected the docket erstwhile NATO members' overseas ministers conscionable successful Brussels for a two-day gathering starting connected Tuesday.

The Trump origin connected the warfare successful Ukraine

Zelenskyy's comments besides travel up of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump successful January.

Trump, who is seen arsenic an admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, vowed connected the run way to extremity Russia's penetration of Ukraine successful a azygous day, but helium has not publically discussed however to bash so.

He besides announced Wednesday that Keith Kellogg, an 80-year-old, highly decorated retired three-star general, volition service arsenic his peculiar envoy to Ukraine and Russia.

In April, Kellogg wrote that "ending the Russia-Ukraine warfare volition necessitate strong, America First enactment to scope a bid statement and instantly cease hostilities betwixt the 2 warring parties."

dh/sms (AP, dpa, Reuters)