Ukraine has officially stepped back from its longstanding aim to join NATO, signaling a significant shift ahead of scheduled peace talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin.
According to NBC News, instead of pursuing NATO membership, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now seeking concrete Western security guarantees as Ukraine reconsiders its approach to future relations with Russia.
This time on, Ukraine has dismissed bagging a NATO military alliance spot in return for something which feels more of a compromise on their side.
It must be noted that it has been Zelenskyy and his country’s long-standing wish to join NATO, which would further safeguard them against any more Russian attacks in the future.
While speaking to reporters in a WhatsApp chat on Sunday, December 14, 2025, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that not every Western partner supported Ukraine’s bid to join NATO.
He noted that pursuing alternative security assurances from the U.S., European countries, and other allies such as Canada and Japan was aimed at preventing further Russian attacks.
While the Ukrainian President underlined the need for such a security guarantee, he also mentioned that there was no legally binding commitment to the same, making it more of a compromise on their end.
🧵The West didn’t “support Ukraine”,it weaponised it.
For years, NATO dangled membership like a mirage while knowing full well Russia would never allow a hostile military bloc on its doorstep.
The result? A nation sacrificed on the altar of strategic delusion. – pic.twitter.com/LvacvMCuiA
— Tim Mutsekwa (@tsumekwa) December 15, 2025
In his words, “From the very beginning, Ukraine’s desire was to join NATO; these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the U.S. and Europe did not support this direction. Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the U.S., Article 5-like guarantees for us from the U.S., and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries — Canada, Japan — are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion. And it is already a compromise from our part.”
It is to be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already demanded multiple times that Ukraine must officially renounce its NATO ambitions at the earliest. He had also underlined that the country must withdraw its troops from about 10 percent of Donbas, which is still under Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Moscow also stated that Ukraine must become a neutral country and insisted that no NATO troops be allowed to remain on Ukrainian territory under any circumstances.
According to additional reports, Russian sources have alleged that Putin has demanded a written pledge from major Western powers to refrain from expanding the U.S.-led NATO alliance eastward. In addition to Ukraine, this would include countries such as Georgia, Moldova, and other former Soviet republics.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously called for dignified peace and guarantees that would prohibit Russia from attacking them any further.
Meanwhile, he even prepared to meet U.S. convoys and European allies in Berlin in an effort to conclude one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts since World War II.
The sad reality of Ukraine, aka how Ukraine was abused for a lie
Zelensky has abandoned NATO membership, which Ukraine had already been denied a long time ago by both the US and NATO, who never had any real intention of accepting Ukraine into the alliance.
The West knew that… pic.twitter.com/WzqOVctFnl
— SlavicFreeSpirit (@SlavFreeSpirit) December 15, 2025
Facing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to sign a peace pact that aligns with several of Moscow’s demands, Zelenskyy had accused Russia of prolonging the war in different ways amid peace negotiations.
He has also drawn attention to the plight of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, many of whom remain affected by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy, water and power supplies.
Widely circulating images of burned and destroyed buildings in recent months have underscored the scale of devastation and taken a toll on the spirit of the Ukrainian civilians.
Zelenskyy has further remarked that Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe remain hopeful towards a proposed 20-point plan aimed at securing a ceasefire and ending the war.
On the other hand, Britain, France and Germany have been working to refine the U.S. proposals that, according to reports last month, called on Kyiv to cede more territory, abandon its armed NATO ambitions and accept the kind of restrictions placed on its armed forces.
