Zelenskyy proposes foreign troops in Ukraine until NATO membership as security talks intensify, citing the need for guarantees against future Russian aggression.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy floated the idea on Monday of foreign troops being deployed to war-stricken Ukraine until the country joins the NATO military alliance.
He made the remark during a joint press conference in Kyiv with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, as Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House intensifies talk of a possible deal to end Russia's 33-month-old war.
Ukraine, which has made a concerted push to obtain an invitation to join NATO, has insisted throughout the war that it needs security guarantees to prevent Russia launching another invasion after the current hostilities are halted.
"A troop contingent from one country or another could be present in Ukraine for as long as it isn't part of NATO. But for that we need to have a clear understanding of when Ukraine becomes an EU member and when a NATO member," Zelenskyy said.
French President Emmanuel Macron caused controversy in Europe in February when he raised the possibility of European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus on the matter.
"Even if we get invited (to NATO), what happens then? Who guarantees our security? We can think about that and work on Emmanuel Macron's proposal," Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader told reporters he was hoping to call outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden in the coming days to discuss NATO membership.
"I intend to call President Biden in the coming time to discuss the question of an invitation to join NATO," he said through an interpreter.
"He is the current president and a lot rides on his opinion. Discussing it with Trump before he takes office doesn't make so much sense."
Russia has demanded that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and sees Kyiv's membership of the alliance as an unacceptable security threat.
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NATO's Secretary-General urged European leaders to step up defence efforts to prevent a war waged by Russia, that could be "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured".
Ukraine has handed the United States a revised 20-point peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday, 11 December.
Norway plans to buy two additional submarines from Germany and a separate procurement of long-range artillery, the defence ministry said on Friday, at a much higher cost than before partly due to high demand for military equipment.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that recent attacks on Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea endanger regional safety and commerce, highlighting the expanding reach of the war in Ukraine.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian has begun a two day visit to Kazakhstan, with officials from both sides describing the trip as an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, transport, industry, mining and cultural exchanges.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their tensions through dialogue and engagement, as it pledged to work with the international community to help improve relations between the two countries.
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Pakistan and China are conducting a joint counterterrorism exercise, Warrior IX, to strengthen military cooperation. The drill comes at a time of renewed regional instability, with analysts saying it underscores both countries’ determination to deepen security ties.
A former estate of drug lord Pablo Escobar, now a wildlife park in Colombia, has marked Christmas by setting animals festive feeding challenges designed to boost their mental and physical health.
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