Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently signaled that he is willing to temporarily cede parts of Eastern Ukraine to Russia in exchange for NATO security guarantees over the territories that remain under Ukrainian control.

This signals a major shift in Zelensky’s approach. “If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should take under [the] NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control,” he told Sky News. Zelensky indicated that Ukraine would pursue diplomatic means to regain the parts of the country that are occupied by Russian forces.

Zelensky’s shift comes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January. Trump has pledged to negotiate a peace agreement “on day one” that would end the war. His team is considering freezing the current front lines and delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership for two decades while continuing to arm the nation against future aggression from Moscow, according to The Telegraph.

Under plans floated by Mr Trump’s team, a peace deal would see the current front line frozen in place, and Ukraine agreeing to shelve its ambitions to join Nato for 20 years. If agreed, the US would pump Ukraine with weapons to deter future Russian aggression.

Mr Zelensky hinted in his interview that the “Nato umbrella” would not be full membership of Nato, something Putin has rejected as part of any peace deal.

Rather, it could mean Nato member states, including Britain, the US, France and Germany, providing individual security guarantees to Ukraine.

Asked in the interview whether Kyiv would be willing to give up territory to Moscow altogether in exchange for full Nato membership, he said: “No one has offered us to be in Nato with just one part or another part of Ukraine.”

Zelensky appeared to support this proposal.

“Here, we must not make any mistake. But if we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should take under NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control. That's what we need to do fast. Then Ukraine can get back the other part of its territory diplomatically. This proposal has never been considered by Ukraine because no one has ever offered that to us officially. We can't, by law, recognize our territory, Ukrainian territory, on the occupation of Russia as Russian. That is impossible. That is against the Constitution of Ukraine. I understand completely your position.”

Zelensky stressed his country’s need for continued aid from NATO. “We need [NATO protection] very much, otherwise, [Russian President Vladimir Putin] will come back. Otherwise, how are we going to go to a ceasefire? So, for us, it’s very dangerous,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he's willing to temporarily cede Russian-occupied lands to Moscow in exchange for NATO support.

"If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should take under NATO umbrella the the territory of Ukraine that we have under our… pic.twitter.com/xojOJcYNqM

— Jeff Charles, Doni's St. Bernard🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) November 30, 2024

The Ukrainian president recently met with Trump to discuss potential resolutions to the conflict. During a joint press conference, he said, “We need just peace for the people, especially for the families who…lost their children—it’s a big tragedy.”

Trump concurred, acknowledging that Zelensky “wants it to end as quickly as possible…We both want to see a fair deal made.”

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden recently approved Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles in its war against Russia, a move that was met with criticism from people on both sides of the political divide.

Zelensky’s policy shift could mark a possible turning point in the war, which has been raging for almost two years. With Trump in office, there could be a potential pathway to peace that might work for all parties involved. However, questions remain about whether Russia and NATO allies would be willing to agree to these proposals. Nevertheless, there might be reason for optimism about an end to this military conflict, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.