NATO Chief of Staff: "Statement on Ukraine Territory Concession and NATO Membership Was a Mistake"

Ukraine Strongly Condemns "Defeat of Democracy"
Russia Says "Must Cede Kyiv to Join NATO"

Stian Jensen, Chief of Staff to the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), proposed a plan for Ukraine to join NATO in exchange for giving up part of its territory, but he retracted the proposal within a day, sparking widespread controversy. While Ukraine strongly opposed the idea, Russia also pressured that Ukraine's NATO membership is absolutely unacceptable, raising concerns that this will become a major obstacle in future ceasefire negotiations.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 16th (local time), according to the British newspaper The Guardian, Jensen explained in a statement, "My remarks were part of a broader discussion about possible future scenarios in Ukraine," adding, "But I should not have said that. It was my mistake."

NATO also issued a separate statement emphasizing, "We will continue to support Ukraine as much as necessary and do our best to achieve a just and lasting peace," and "The position of NATO allies is clear and will not change."

Earlier, at an event in Norway concerning Ukraine's future, Jensen said, "There is an option for Ukraine to join the NATO alliance in exchange for giving up part of its territory," adding, "However, Ukraine must decide the timing and conditions under which it wants to negotiate." Following this remark, Ukraine strongly opposed it, and the controversy continued.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the President of Ukraine, posted on his X (Twitter) account, "Getting NATO's (security) umbrella and giving up territory? This is nonsense," strongly criticizing, "This means the defeat of democracy, encouraging international criminals, preserving the Russian regime, destroying international law, and passing the war on to another generation."

Russia also strongly opposed Ukraine's NATO membership, stating it is absolutely unacceptable. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council and one of President Vladimir Putin's closest aides, said, "If Ukraine wants to join NATO, it will have to hand over the capital Kyiv," emphasizing that Russia will never accept Ukraine's NATO membership.

NATO member countries are also increasingly voicing that mentioning the transfer of part of Ukraine's territory and NATO membership as diplomatic bargaining chips within NATO is inappropriate. The American political media outlet Politico quoted a senior diplomat from a NATO member country saying, "Jensen's remarks are a serious mistake rarely seen from such an experienced expert," and "He had no authority to make such statements, and expressing such opinions does not help Ukraine either."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.