Zelensky suggests that the war could end if an uninhabited Ukraine falls under Nato

President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that parts of Ukraine under his control should be taken “under the Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot phase” of the war.

In a long, wide-ranging interview with Sky News, the Ukrainian president was asked if he would accept NATO membership, but only on the territory of Kyiv for now.

Zelensky said he would, but only if NATO membership was granted to all of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, first.

Ukraine may try to negotiate the return of territory under Russian control “in a communicative way”, he said.

But the proposal is ambitious. As Zelensky pointed out, no one has ever made such an offer.

Whether Nato would ever consider such a move is highly questionable.

“Ukraine has never thought about such a proposal, because no one has given it officially,” Zelensky said.

Nato would need to offer membership to the entire country, including those parts under Russian control, he said.

“You can’t give [an] an invitation to one part of the country,” said the president, according to a version provided by Sky News. “Why? Because that way, you will see that Ukraine is only Ukrainian territory, and the other is Russia. “

Many people were proposing a ceasefire, he said, but without a way to prevent Russia from attacking again, a ceasefire was too dangerous.

Only NATO membership, he said, could provide that kind of guarantee.

The Ukrainian president has said that he thinks the war could end next year if Ukraine’s allies show enough determination.

Reports suggest that talks on the so-called West German model (Nato membership offered to a divided country) have been going on in Western circles for more than a year.

But no official proposals have been made yet.

It is also worth noting that so far Russian President Vladimir Putin has not given any indication that he has abandoned his desire to rule Ukraine completely.

The idea that he would agree to allow any part of Ukraine to join NATO is, at this point, unthinkable.

All indications so far suggest that any Nato involvement is a complete no-go.