The head of the NATO Secretary General’s office apologized for his words about Kyiv handing over part of the land

NATO’s high-ranking representative Stian Jenssen, who heads the organization’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s office, apologized for his words that Ukraine could give up part of its territory in favor of Russia.

On Tuesday this week, the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG) reported that Jensen commented on the events in Ukraine during one of the events in Norway. He stated that one of the stages of the end of the war there could be Kyiv’s refusal of part of the territory in exchange for membership in the North Atlantic Union. This statement provoked an angry reaction from Kyiv.

The next day, in a conversation with VG, Jensen noted that he “shouldn’t have spoken so simplistically.” “My statement was part of a broader discussion about possible future scenarios in Ukraine. And I shouldn’t have said that, it was a mistake,” Stian Jenssen emphasized.

At the same time, as noted by The Guardian, a high-ranking NATO official did not abandon the idea that the “land in exchange for membership” option may end up on the negotiating table. If there were serious peace negotiations, then the military situation at that time, including the point of who controls what territory, would certainly have a decisive influence, believes Jenssen. At the same time, he added that it is for this reason that it is extremely important to continue supporting Ukraine with everything it needs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, responding to Jenssen’s statement on Tuesday, said that the Alliance, like Ukraine, does not trade territories. “Consciously or unknowingly, the participation of NATO officials in the formation of a narrative about the possibility of Ukraine withdrawing from its territories plays into Russia’s hands,” Oleg Nikolenko, a representative of the Ukrainian foreign policy department, emphasized.

• The 10-point peace plan of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi (or “peace formula” – RS) provides, in particular, that any negotiations in Moscow can begin only after the return of all territories occupied by Russia, including the annexed Crimea, and the withdrawal of Russian troops from all regions occupied by them.