Russia has given a positive assessment regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's mention of the possibility of abandoning Ukraine's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
According to TASS and RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated during a briefing on the 15th (local time) that the issue of Ukraine not joining NATO is "one of the cornerstones," adding, "It needs to be discussed in particular, compared to other issues."
The previous day, President Zelensky acknowledged during an online Q&A session with reporters that some partners in the United States and Europe did not support Ukraine's NATO membership. He said that if there were strong security guarantees, Ukraine could abandon its aspiration to join NATO.
Russia has strongly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and insists that, as a condition for ending the war, the size of the Ukrainian military must be reduced.
On this day, President Zelensky is meeting with representatives from the United States and major European countries in Berlin, Germany, to discuss proposals for ending the war. The United States is coordinating an agreement on Ukraine's peace proposal by meeting alternately with both Ukrainian and Russian sides. Spokesperson Peskov noted that while the United States does not provide real-time updates on its contacts with Ukraine, he expects the U.S. to share information once the talks in Berlin conclude. He emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to peace, stating, "He is open to genuine peace and serious decisions. He is not open to tricks aimed at delaying the process or artificially creating a ceasefire."
He went on to express gratitude for U.S. President Donald Trump's genuine efforts to resolve the Ukraine issue, but pointed out that "setting a deadline is currently the most meaningless task" in reference to the goal of reaching an agreement by Christmas (the 25th).
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