Prez Zelenskyy says, ready to drop NATO membership for Ukraine’s security, also insist on direct talks with Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is prepared to discuss a commitment from Ukraine not to seek NATO membership in exchange for a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops, and a guarantee of Ukraine’s security. In an interview with Ukrainian television channels yesterday, Zelenskyy said it is a compromise for everyone. Repeating his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said, unless he meets with Putin, it is impossible to understand whether Russia even wants to stop the war. Zelenskyy said that Kyiv will be ready to discuss the status of Crimea and the eastern Donbas region held by Russian-backed separatists after a cease-fire and steps toward providing security guarantees.