What did Zelenskyy offer on ceasefire terms?

What did Ukraine's president put on the table on 29 November 2024? Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country was ready to agree to a ceasefire if NATO protected parts of Ukraine. The remark came in the context of peace negotiations in the Russian invasion of Ukraine and touched directly on Ukraine's relations with the alliance.

The condition was specific. The offer was tied to NATO protection for parts of the country, not for all of it, and it was framed as the price of a ceasefire rather than a wider settlement.

A day after the strikes

The statement followed a heavy attack the previous day. On 28 November 2024, Russia launched a massive missile and drone assault on civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. At least five people were injured, and more than a million households lost power.

Taken together, the two days showed the pressures around the debate: continuing strikes on energy and other infrastructure, and a Ukrainian position that linked any halt in fighting to security guarantees from the alliance.