Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has privately acknowledged that NATO membership for Ukraine is untenable in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia, according to Steven Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.
The remarks, made during a Friday interview with commentator Tucker Carlson, signal a potential shift in Kyiv’s posture amid stalled Western military aid and escalating frontline pressures.
“President Zelensky and his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, have largely conceded that NATO accession isn’t on the table for Ukraine,” Witkoff stated, framing the stance as a prerequisite for any ceasefire agreement. “This reality is now broadly accepted in discussions.”
The envoy further asserted that Ukrainian leadership committed to holding national elections, though he provided no timeline or conditions. Ukraine suspended its presidential vote in 2024 under martial law imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion. Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Zelensky’s wartime governance, labeled the president a “Dictator without Elections” during a June campaign rally.
Zelensky’s office has not publicly confirmed Witkoff’s claims, which align with Moscow’s longstanding demand for Ukrainian neutrality. NATO leaders reaffirmed Kyiv’s eventual membership path at their 2023 Vilnius summit but declined to offer concrete timelines, citing ongoing hostilities.
The White House has yet to clarify whether Witkoff’s comments reflect formal U.S. policy. His role as Middle East envoy—unrelated to European security matters—raises questions about the scope of his mandate in Ukraine negotiations. State Department officials declined to comment, noting Trump’s preference for conducting diplomacy through informal channels.
Ukraine’s election debate intensifies as the war enters its third year. Constitutional provisions prohibit voting under martial law without parliamentary approval, which lawmakers have withheld citing security risks. Recent polls show 64% of Ukrainians oppose holding elections until territories are liberated, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
Western allies remain divided. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell argued in July that elections could “legitimize Ukraine’s democratic resilience,” while NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg cautioned that voting amid occupation would be “technically and morally fraught.”
As U.S.-brokered talks reportedly advance, Zelensky faces dual challenges: reconciling territorial sovereignty with geopolitical realities, and balancing wartime unity against demands for political accountability. With Russia controlling 18% of Ukraine’s territory, the path to peace—or elections—remains fraught with unanswered questions.
