Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, strongly criticized NATO Chief of Staff Stian Jenssen for proposing that Kiev should cede territory to Russia as a condition for joining the alliance.
"It is ridiculous. That means deliberately choosing the defeat of democracy, encouraging a global criminal, preserving the Russian regime...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 stressed.
Earlier today, Jenssen underlined that the decision to join the alliance rests entirely with Kiev, but added that the question of Ukraine ceding its territory to Russia was already raised by other members of the alliance. "I'm not saying it has to be like this. But that could be a possible solution," he added.