Zelensky says 'hot phase of war' with Russia could end in exchange for NATO membership

In his first interview after the US Presidential election, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he is ready for a ceasefire with Russia if the Ukrainian territories controlled by Kyiv would be taken under the NATO umbrella. 

Zelesnky expressed the view when asked by Sky News about US President-elect Donald Trump's plan to end the Ukraine war by making Kyiv a part of NATO and giving the control of regions under Ukraine to Russia.

Zelensky said he is ready to end the "hot phase of the war" if NATO membership is offered for the regions controlled by Ukraine and not for those occupied by Russia.

"If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control," Zelensky said while talking to Sky News. 

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"We need to do it fast. And then on the [occupied] territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back in a diplomatic way," he added. 

He further said that a ceasefire would have to guarantee that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not come back to take more Ukrainian territory. 

Zelesnky said NATO should  "immediately" cover the Ukrainian regions that are under control by Kyiv otherwise Putin would come back to take them. 

'Have to work with new president'

Further talking about Trump, Zelesnky said Ukraine will "have to work with the new president" in order to "have the biggest supporter".

"I want to work with him directly because there are different voices from people around him. And that's why we need not to [allow] anybody around to destroy our communication," Zelensky told Sky News. 

"It will be not helpful and will be destructive. We have to try to find the new model. I want to share with him ideas and I want to hear from him," he added. 

Zelensky further said that he spoke to Trump in September and the talk was "constructive".

 "We had a conversation. It was very warm, good, constructive... It was a very good meeting and it was an important first step - now we have to prepare some meetings," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)