Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Kyiv is prepared to abandon its longstanding ambition to join NATO in exchange for legally binding security guarantees from the United States and European allies, marking a significant shift in Ukraine's negotiating position as peace talks with American envoys continue in Berlin.

The announcement came as Zelensky sat down with President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at Germany's Federal Chancellery. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined Zelensky at the negotiating table across from the American delegation.

"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees," Zelensky said in response to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat before the talks. "Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction."

"Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries—Canada, Japan—are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion," Zelensky said. "And it is already a compromise on our part."

The U.S. delegation said in a statement posted to Witkoff's social media account after the five-hour meeting that "a lot of progress was made." Talks are set to resume Monday.

NATO membership long a sticking point

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited Ukraine's bid to join NATO as a major threat to Moscow's security and a justification for launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine renounce its pursuit of alliance membership as part of any prospective peace settlement.

Zelensky emphasized that any security assurances would need to be legally binding and supported by the U.S. Congress. The news website Axios reported Saturday, citing a senior U.S. official, that Washington may offer Ukraine security guarantees similar to those envisaged under Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

"We want to give the Ukrainians a security guarantee that will not be a blank cheque on the one hand but will be strong enough on the other hand," the U.S. official was quoted as saying. "We are willing to send it to Congress to vote on it."

The shift marks a major change for Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against Russian attacks and has such an aspiration written into its constitution. Trump said in August that there would be "no going into NATO by Ukraine" as part of any peace deal.

Zelensky rejects territorial concessions

While signaling flexibility on NATO membership, Zelensky firmly rejected American proposals for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. Among the key conditions Moscow has demanded for peace is that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the part of the Donetsk region still under its control.

Zelensky said the U.S. had floated an idea for Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk and create a demilitarized free economic zone there, a proposal he dismissed as unworkable.

"I do not consider this fair, because who will manage this economic zone?" he said. "If we are talking about some buffer zone along the line of contact, if we are talking about some economic zone and we believe that only a police mission should be there and troops should withdraw, then the question is very simple. If Ukrainian troops withdraw 5–10 kilometers, for example, then why do Russian troops not withdraw deeper into the occupied territories by the same distance?"

Zelensky described the issue as "very sensitive" and insisted on a freeze along current battle lines. "Today a fair possible option is we stand where we stand," he said.

The Ukrainian leader said officials from both sides were reviewing a 20-point plan that could culminate in a ceasefire. He reiterated that Kyiv is not holding direct talks with Russia.

Russia signals objections to proposals

Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, told the Russian business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard would remain in parts of the Donetsk region even if those areas become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan.

Ushakov warned that reaching a compromise could take considerable time, noting that U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been "worsened" by alterations suggested by Ukraine and its European allies.

"The contribution of Ukrainians and Europeans to these documents is unlikely to be constructive," Ushakov said in remarks broadcast on Russian state television Sunday. He added that Moscow would "have very strong objections."

Ushakov said territorial issues were actively discussed in Moscow when Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin earlier this month. "The Americans know and understand our position," he said.

He also stated that Russia would "1 million percent" not cede control of the Crimean peninsula it annexed in 2014.

European allies press for resolution

Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called it a "good sign" that Trump had dispatched his envoys, while noting concerns about the unconventional choice of negotiators.

"It's certainly anything but an ideal setup for such negotiations. That much is clear. But as they say, you can only dance with the people on the dance floor," Pistorius told the German broadcaster ZDF.

On the issue of Ukraine's offer to give up its NATO aspirations, Pistorius noted that Kyiv had bitter prior experience relying on security assurances. In 1994, Ukraine agreed to give up its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in exchange for territorial guarantees from the U.S., Russia and Britain—guarantees that proved worthless when Russia invaded in 2022.

"Therefore, it remains to be seen to what extent this statement Zelensky has now made will actually hold true, and what preconditions must be met," Pistorius said.

Merz, who has led European efforts to support Ukraine alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warned Saturday that "the decades of the 'Pax Americana' are largely over for us in Europe."

He said Putin's aim is "a fundamental change to the borders in Europe, the restoration of the old Soviet Union within its borders."

"If Ukraine falls, he won't stop," Merz said during a party conference in Munich.

Putin has denied plans to restore the Soviet Union or attack any European allies.

A major summit is scheduled for Monday in Berlin, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set to join approximately 10 other European leaders.

Zelensky said Sunday that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian families remained without power after Russian strikes on energy, heating and water supplies. He said that in the past week, Russia had launched more than 1,500 strike drones, nearly 900 guided aerial bombs and 46 missiles of various types at Ukraine.