Stian Jenssen – chief of staff to NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg – has suggested Ukraine may have to give up territory to the Russians in order to obtain NATO membership and an end to the war. The comments have sparked outrage from the Ukrainian government, though it is an increasingly popular view in the West.
Jenssen stated on Tuesday that discussions concerning the post-war status of the region are already underway, and that a number of people in diplomatic circles have raised the idea of sacrificing territory in exchange for NATO membership.
“I’m not saying it has to be like this. But that could be a possible solution,” Jenssen explained before adding, “it must be up to Ukraine to decide when and on what terms they want to negotiate.”
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior advisor to President Zelensky, was quick to respond to the remarks, calling the proposal “ridiculous,” with the result representing a defeat for democracy and the destruction of international law.
“If Putin does not suffer a crushing defeat, the political regime in Russia does not change and war criminals are not punished, the war will definitely return with Russia’s appetite for more,” Podolyak added.
Jenssen’s remarks reflect a growing despondency among NATO members about the current state of the war and Ukrainian leadership. Germany has already admitted to becoming “frustrated” with the lack of progress of the summer counteroffensive and has started to blame Ukrainian officers.
