A high-ranking official in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) floated the possibility of Ukraine giving up some of its territory to Russia in order to bring about an end to the conflict between the neighboring countries.
Stian Jenssen, the chief of staff for NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, floated the possibility of Ukraine giving up territory during a Tuesday panel discussion in Arendal, Norway.
Mr. Jenssen went on to say that any peace terms will ultimately have to be agreeable to Ukraine, which has relied heavily on the assistance of the NATO alliance. The NATO official also suggested the alliance could offer membership to Ukraine as part of a deal if it does give up its territory.
Giving Up Territory ‘Ridiculous’: Ukrainian Official
Mr. Jenssen’s proposal of ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia would go against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s repeated calls throughout the war to take back all Ukrainian territory currently controlled by Russia, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russian forces seized in 2014.Mr. Jenssen’s comments now represent a high-level indication that NATO would be willing to accept the surrender of Ukrainian territory to end the war.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, appeared to criticize Mr. Jenssen’s rhetoric in a Tuesday past on the X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.
“Trading territory for a NATO umbrella? It is ridiculous. That means deliberately choosing the defeat of democracy, encouraging a global criminal, preserving the Russian regime, destroying international law, and passing the war on to other generations,” Mr. Podolyak wrote.
The Ukrainian presidential advisor also said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not suffer a crushing defeat,” he will allow his regime to continue and stoke “Russia’s appetite for more” territory.
NATO Official Backtracks
Amid criticism over his remarks, Mr. Jenssen issued a new statement to Verdens Gang, softening his remarks about Ukraine giving up territory to Russia.“My statement about this was part of a larger discussion about possible future scenarios in Ukraine, and I shouldn’t have said it that way. It was a mistake,” Mr. Jenssen told the Norwegian publication.
Mr. Jenssen reiterated that peace terms would be up to Ukraine to decide.
Ukraine Counteroffensive Retakes Little Ground
Mr. Jenssen’s talk of Ukraine ceding territory comes as Ukrainian forces are about two months along in a counteroffensive to retake territory in the country’s east and south.During a Pentagon press briefing last week, a reporter asked if the U.S. overestimated Ukraine’s counteroffensive capabilities. Pentagon Press Secretary and Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder largely avoided commenting about the actual progress of the counteroffensive, but said U.S. support for the Ukrainian effort would continue.