Discussions surrounding peace and ceasefire prospects in the context of the Ukraine–Russia war, potential shifts in Kyiv’s position on NATO membership, and Europe’s future security architecture continue to dominate the international agenda. In particular, Ukraine’s leadership signaling greater flexibility on NATO while maintaining a firm stance on territorial integrity has drawn significant attention.
Commenting on these developments, political analyst and human rights defender Ahmad Shahidov, in a wide-ranging interview with ARB24 Television, stated that Ukraine’s willingness to forgo NATO membership should not be seen as a sign of military weakness but rather as a calculated political maneuver. According to Ahmad Shahidov, Kyiv expects legally binding and credible security guarantees from the United States and European countries in return, indicating that the next phase of the conflict is increasingly taking shape at the negotiating table.
Ahmad Shahidov emphasized that the territorial issue remains Ukraine’s main “red line” and that any territorial concessions are neither politically nor legally acceptable. He added that while European Union countries are seeking to prevent the conflict from escalating into a direct Russia–NATO confrontation, they are also unwilling to legitimize violations of international law, noting that the coming period will be defined not by military developments but by decisive political choices regarding the Ukraine crisis.
