NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has conceded the possibility that Ukraine may need to compromise with Russia in order to end the war between the two nations.
In an interview with the BBC, Stoltenberg appeared to acknowledge that without a proposed five-year, 100 billion euro fund for Ukraine, the Eastern European nation could find itself facing unconditional surrender to Russia without any bargaining power.
“At the end of the day, it has to be Ukraine that decides what kind of compromises they’re willing to do, we need to enable them to be in a position where they actually achieve an acceptable result around the negotiating table,” he said.
The BBC itself noted that Stoltenberg’s comments mark a stark difference from the stance taken by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky, who has been steadfast in his refusal to engage in any negotiations with the Kremlin.
Stoltenberg’s “language is notable because President Volodymyr Zelensky has always been adamant that he would never negotiate with Putin despite some calls on him to do so, including from the Pope,” wrote the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
Stoltenberg’s acknowledgment of the possibility of a brokered peace deal between Ukraine and Russia — in which Ukraine would likely have to make certain territorial concessions — came the same day that Zelensky himself admitted Ukraine is losing the war and is certain to lose sans more funding from its Western backers.
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