Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Sunday that Ukraine is prepared to accept security guarantees based on the principle of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, as part of a compromise in the peace process. This was reported by the Ukrinform news agency.

Zelenskyy recalled that Ukraine's goal from the beginning has been full membership in NATO, which he believes provides real and effective security guarantees. However, he acknowledged that some partners in the United States and Europe have not supported this path.

According to him, security guarantees "in the style of Article 5" provided by the United States, European partners, and other countries such as Canada and Japan, could prevent repeated incursions by Russian forces into Ukrainian territory. "This is already a compromise on our part," Zelenskyy emphasized. He declined to disclose specific details of the proposed guarantees, stating that they should be known within one or two days.

The President of Ukraine arrived in Berlin on Sunday for meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders. The German newspaper Bild reported that he may also meet with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump, but did not provide further details.

At the same time, Zelenskyy sharply criticized the U.S. proposal to create a so-called "free economic zone" in parts of the eastern Donbas region. He stated that the plan is unfair and that it is unclear who would administer the area.

Zelenskyy said that the United States has proposed a compromise under which Ukrainian armed forces would withdraw from the region, and in return, Russia would not enter certain parts of eastern Ukraine. However, if the current peace negotiations fail, Ukraine will have to find other ways to end the conflict with Russia, he added.

"We must come together, find a different approach, and do everything we can to end this war," Zelenskyy concluded.

gnews.cz - GH