Ukraine has relinquished its aim to join the NATO military alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees as a compromise to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday as peace talks got underway in Berlin.

Zelenskyy aired the concession as he flew to the German capital, where he began meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in efforts to end Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II.

The move marks a major shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against Russian attacks and has such an aspiration included in its constitution. It also meets one of Russia's war aims, although Kyiv has so far held firm against ceding territory to Moscow.

Zelenskyy met the U.S. envoys at ta

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