In an interview on December 14, Mr. Yury Ushakov, Putin's assistant, emphasized with 100% certainty that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be able to reclaim control of the peninsula that was annexed by Russia after the 2014 Referendum. For Moscow, the scenario of Ukraine joining NATO is equally unrealistic.
These statements come as Kiev recognizes its limited power. On December 14, speaking before meetings with US special representatives and European allies in Berlin (Germany), President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had accepted giving up Ukraine's ambition to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from the US, Europe and some other partners, considering this a "compromise" by Ukraine to find a way out of the conflict with Russia.
Previously, US President Donald Trump - who is playing an intermediary role in promoting peace - declared the return of Crimea to Ukraine or Kiev to join NATO as "unfeasible".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Russia's sovereignty over Crimea "they are done," and welcomed the recognition of this reality by the White House.
According to peace proposals made by the Trump administration and revised many times in the past month, Ukraine must abandon its ambition to join NATO and withdraw its demands on Crimea and the Donbass region (Lugansk, Donetsk). In return, there are security guarantees from the US and Europe.
In an interview, President Trump lamented that except for President Zelensky, others like the idea of the deal, and called on the Ukrainian leadership to go in and accept the reality.
Commenting on Ukraine's announcement of abandoning its ambition to join NATO, US experts have mixed reactions. Justin Log, director of defense and foreign policy research at the Cato Institute, said the move does not change the picture, mainly to show goodwill.
Similarly, Andrew Michta - a strategic research professor at the University of Florida said that Ukraine's NATO membership has been "no longer a practical issue" for a long time.
In contrast, Mr. Brett Bruen - a former foreign policy advisor under President Barack Obama - assessed this as a "menor and substantial" concession, helping Kiev prove its readiness to make great sacrifices for peace while Moscow has not yet made a corresponding concession.
The key question, he said, is what Ukraine will get in return for its uncompromising promise to the people. Mr. Bruen speculates that the US could commit to protecting Ukraine's airspace, increasing military aid or react strongly if Russia launches a large-scale campaign.
On December 14, in Berlin, President Zelensky had a 5-hour discussion with US special missionary Steve Witkoff and Mr. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. It is expected that on December 14, the two sides will continue to discuss further.
