Ukraine to determine conditions for peace talks, says Stoltenberg
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has reiterated that Ukraine alone will decide when favorable conditions for peace talks have arisen after his subordinate, Stian Jenssen, had to retract a previous comment that Ukraine might have to swap territory for peace with Russia.
Speaking at a conference in the Norwegian city of Arendal, Stoltenberg emphasized that the determination of favorable terms for negotiations rests solely with Ukraine.
“It is the Ukrainians themselves, and only the Ukrainians, who can decide when conditions for negotiations are present, and only they can make decisions acceptable at the negotiating table,” Stoltenberg stated, as reported by Reuters.
Addressing the remarks made by Jenssen, the director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General, Stoltenberg added that the alliance’s role lies in supporting Ukraine.
“This is my central message, and NATO’s central message. First and foremost, NATO’s policy remains unchanged — we stand by Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.
Earlier, on Aug. 15, Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General Stian Jenssen said in comments to the media that Ukraine could conceivably become a NATO member in exchange for ceding parts of its sovereign territory to Russia.
A day later he said the comment had been made in error.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry quickly called such statements unacceptable and said that they only play into the hands of the aggressor, Russia.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said that giving up territories “in exchange” for the NATO umbrella would mean transferring the war to other generations and destroying international law.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said repeatedly that Ukraine will not agree to a frozen conflict, will never make territorial concessions, and will liberate all of the territories that have been occupied by Russian forces.
He also said that Ukraine would receive an invitation to join NATO after the war.
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