Zelenskyy open to the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine

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

Speaking on December 9 at a joint conference in Kyiv with German opposition leader Freidrich Merz, Zelenskyy said that for Ukraine to be secure, it needs not only membership in NATO, but also in the European Union, in order to deter aggression from Moscow.

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

Zelenskyy'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 for Ukraine is important.

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

"If there is a pause while 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 our security?" Zelensky added.

Zelensky later said in a Telegram post that he planned to call U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss Ukraine's NATO membership. Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine 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 early 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 request 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 worth of support it has given to 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 that would work. 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 easing sanctions on 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 three-way talks “good and productive” and said the leaders talked about the possibility of a “just peace.”

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