Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that he could consider a peace deal with Vladimir Putin if NATO accepts one request.
The Ukrainian president said the parts of the country he controls would have to be offered NATO membership.
“We need to do it fast,” he told Sky News. “And then on the [occupied] territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back in a diplomatic way.”
Mr Zelenskyy was asked for his reaction to reports that US president-elect Donald Trump could try to end the Russia–Ukraine conflict by pressuring Kyiv to surrender the land occupied by Moscow in exchange for NATO membersip.
He seemed to accept that eastern parts of the country would lie outside the recognised borders of the initial membership, suggesting that unoccupied parts of Ukraine should be invited into the treaty organisation.
“If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control,” the Ukrainian president said.
He added that a ceasefire would be necessary to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will not come back” to seize further territory, stressing that unless NATO takes “immediate” action, the rest of the country could be at serious risk.
Mr Zelenskyy was also asked for his opinion of Mr Trump, telling chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay that he wants to “work with him directly” and not allow “anybody around to destroy our communication”.
“It will be not helpful and will be destructive. We have to try to find the new model. I want to share with him ideas and I want to hear from him,” he added.
“We had a conversation. It was very warm, good, constructive… It was a very good meeting and it was an important first step – now we have to prepare some meetings.”
It marks the first time Mr Zelenskyy has suggested he would accept a ceasefire that temporarily ceded Ukrainian territory to Russian control.
The most he has hinted at such an acceptance was during an interview with Le Monde in July, when he said parts of the country could join Russia if they voted to in a fair referendum – something that would first require the Kyiv leadership to regain control of territories currently occupied by Russian troops.
About a fifth of Ukraine is currently under Russian control and Mr Zelenskyy’s long-held position is that the Kremlin’s occupation is unlawful.
