On Sunday, podcaster Lex Fridman released an extended interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The conversation focused on how to end the war in Ukraine and the conditions on which he would be willing to negotiate a deal with Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky’s terms echoed the points laid out in his “Victory Plan” released in October. He indicated Ukraine would be willing to negotiate a ceasefire in exchange for receiving Nato membership. According to the Ukrainian leader, Nato’s commitment could be limited to the territory still held by Kyiv, and while Ukraine would not concede the territories occupied by Russia, he stated that the goal would be to regain them “diplomatically”. He also demanded more military assistance to bolster Ukraine’s bargaining position, repeatedly stating that Putin has no interest in ending the conflict and will only negotiate if forced to.
The proposal for Nato membership is simply not realistic, however. Even if the alliance could fudge its own prohibition on admitting countries with ongoing conflicts or territorial disputes, giving Ukraine a membership action plan now would simply be a non-starter for a ceasefire, let alone for a long-term settlement of the conflict. Russia will not accept it.
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