In a surprising turn of events, Stian Jenssen, the chief of staff for NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, has ignited a debate within the international community by suggesting that Ukraine could potentially cede territory to Russia as part of an arrangement to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The remarks come during a stalling Ukrainian counteroffensive and ongoing discussions within the NATO alliance about Ukraine's post-war status.
Jenssen's comments were reported by the Norwegian newspaper VG, where he emphasized that any such territorial exchange should be negotiated autonomously by Ukraine, allowing the nation to determine the terms and timing of such an agreement. This notion introduces a novel perspective into the discourse, marking the first instance of a high ranking NATO official suggesting that territorial concessions could be a path to Ukraine's NATO membership.
The discussions within the NATO alliance surrounding Ukraine's status post-conflict have gained traction in recent weeks, with some member countries considering the possibility of Kyiv relinquishing some of its territory. This proposition arises in the wake of Ukraine's counteroffensive struggling to gain momentum and Western officials acknowledging the unlikelihood of its success against the Russian forces.
The United States and NATO have been vocal in their support of Ukraine's demands, which include Russia's complete withdrawal from the captured territories and the restoration of Crimea to Ukrainian control. The Crimean Peninsula had been under Russian control since its annexation in 2014.
The suggestion put forth by Jenssen has been met with mixed reactions. Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky's aide Mykhailo Podolyak, have strongly criticized the idea. Podolyak stated that trading territory for NATO membership is not only unreasonable but also detrimental to the democratic ideals Ukraine supposedly holds. He claimed that the ultimate resolution to the conflict lies in defeating Russian President Vladimir Putin and catalyzing a change in the political regime in Russia.
Analysts point out that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was, in part, motivated by Ukraine's alignment with NATO, and the ongoing conflict between the two nations continues to be fueled by this alignment. Thus, it is unlikely that Russia would accept a post-war settlement that includes Ukraine becoming a NATO member. The strategic implications of such an arrangement are complex and could potentially reshape the geopolitical landscape in Eastern Europe.