Zelensky open about the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine

2024-12-09 19:13:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Zelensky open about the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Party of Germany, Friedrich Merz

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he would consider temporarily stationing foreign military forces on Ukrainian soil until the country becomes a member of NATO as a way to secure his country as part of a peace deal. with Russia.

Speaking on December 9 at a joint conference in Kiev with Germany's opposition leader Freidrich Merz, Zelensky said that for Ukraine to be secure, not only NATO membership is needed, but also the European Union as well, in order to contain aggression from Moscow.

"A contingent of military forces from one country or another may stay in Ukraine until it becomes a member of NATO," Zelensky said, implying that Kiev is open to finding a diplomatic solution to Russia's nearly three-year war. long years.

Zelensky's statement echoes discussions earlier this year, when French President Emmanuel Macron called for the deployment of European forces in Ukraine.

While Zelensky acknowledged that consultations on the issue are ongoing, he stressed that providing absolute security guarantees to Ukraine is important.

"Ukraine wants this war to end more than anyone else. No doubt, a diplomatic solution would save more lives. We demand this," he said.

"If there is a pause until Ukraine is not in NATO, even if we have the invitation and we are not in NATO, and there will be a pause, then who guarantees us security?" Zelensky added.

Zelensky later said in a Telegram post that he plans to call US President Joe Biden to discuss Ukraine's NATO membership.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Kiev has called for greater security commitments from its Western allies.

Russia has made small advances on the battlefield in recent months and now controls nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory in Europe's biggest conflict since World War II.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said several times that a preliminary agreement reached between the two countries in Istanbul during the first weeks of the war - which was not implemented - could serve as the basis for future peace talks.

However, Moscow's opposition to Ukraine's accession to NATO remains a major obstacle, as Russia considers this a direct threat to its security.

Zelensky's plea for NATO membership comes at a time of growing international debate over the alliance's "open door" policy, which allows countries to join provided they meet certain criteria.

Also, this is happening at a time when former US President Donald Trump is preparing to take office next month.

While the Biden administration has strongly supported Ukraine, Trump, who will take office on January 20, has criticized the US for the tens of billions of dollars in aid it has given Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.

Trump has said he could end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House, without explaining how he would do that.

Experts say it will be difficult to reach any peace deal quickly, as there are many aspects to be addressed, including security guarantees for Ukraine and sanctions relief for Russia.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Biden administration has accelerated arms shipments to Ukraine ahead of the transfer of power.

Trump met with Zelensky and Macron in Paris on December 7 to discuss the war.

Zelensky called the tripartite talks "good and productive" and said the leaders talked about the possibility of a "just peace".

In his first televised interview since winning the election in November, Trump told NBC News that Ukraine should "probably" prepare to accept less aid from Washington after he takes office./REL