The West Germany NATO Accession Model Could Serve as a Compromise for Ukraine in Peace Negotiations

A model similar to West Germany’s NATO accession, where the entire country receives an invitation but only the government-controlled part joins the Alliance, could be a suitable compromise for Ukraine during peace negotiations. This suggestion was made by Serhiy Leshchenko, an advisor to the Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office.

Leshchenko emphasized that Ukraine’s primary objective is to ensure that aggression is not repeated, which necessitates a formal invitation to NATO. He proposed that while the invitation should legally and officially encompass all of Ukraine, the practical approach could follow West Germany’s example. In that case, the government in Bonn (now Kyiv) controlled part of the territory and joined NATO, while the rest of the country joined after the fall of the East German dictatorship. Similarly, Ukraine could join NATO with the territory currently under Kyiv’s control, with the occupied regions potentially integrating after liberation.

The advisor also highlighted the importance of demonstrating Ukraine’s readiness for negotiations, contrasting it with Russia’s unwillingness. “We cannot ignore the possibility that the U.S. administration might simply decide who to work with,” he stated.

“We continually generate initiatives to show that we don’t want others deciding for us, as happened with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum or the 2014 Minsk Agreements. We are capable of presenting our own vision for resolving this crisis but need other participants to accept compromises as well. If the other party is not ready, that is their problem. Ukraine, meanwhile, has every right to demand weapons and support, just as we did at the beginning of the war,” Leshchenko added.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that any negotiations with Russia could only begin in agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump (or his administration) and with the European Union’s involvement. These negotiations would focus on ending the war and providing Ukraine with security guarantees.