For some time, the ground has been shifting in Kyiv as Ukraine braces for a potential Trump presidency and his much-touted promise of a ceasefire within 24 hours of taking office on 20 January 2025.
Senior figures, including Ukraine’s former commander of its armed forces and Ambassador to Britain, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, have openly suggested that reclaiming all of Ukraine’s territory may no longer be feasible in the short-term given the current level of Western support. They foresee a future in which some of the battle will be fought more diplomatically than militarily, with the land being returned in some latter political negotiation when Ukraine is more secure.
That may be true. Either way, for the first time, President Zelensky has indicated in an interview with Sky News that he might be prepared to cede some land to Russia in exchange for a NATO “umbrella” for protection. This echoes ideas put forward by his friend and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a recent interview on The Telegraph’s Ukraine: The Latest podcast. Johnson proposed that the UK should lead NATO forces to secure peace with boots on the ground, deterring further Russian aggression. Under this scenario, Ukraine would not yet be part of NATO but would benefit from its protection.
For some time, the ground has been shifting in Kyiv as Ukraine braces for a potential Trump presidency and his much-touted promise of a ceasefire within 24 hours of taking office on 20 January 2025.
Senior figures, including Ukraine’s former commander of its armed forces and Ambassador to Britain, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, have openly suggested that reclaiming all of Ukraine’s territory may no longer be feasible in the short-term given the current level of Western support. They foresee a future in which some of the battle will be fought more diplomatically than militarily, with the land being returned in some latter political negotiation when Ukraine is more secure.
That may be true. Either way, for the first time, President Zelensky has indicated in an interview with Sky News that he might be prepared to cede some land to Russia in exchange for a NATO “umbrella” for protection. This echoes ideas put forward by his friend and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a recent interview on The Telegraph’s Ukraine: The Latest podcast. Johnson proposed that the UK should lead NATO forces to secure peace with boots on the ground, deterring further Russian aggression. Under this scenario, Ukraine would not yet be part of NATO but would benefit from its protection.