Stian Jenssen, the Head of the NATO Secretary-General's Office, has suggested that Ukraine could potentially join the Alliance in exchange for its territory. However, he emphasised that such a decision should be made by Kyiv alone.

During a public discussion in the Norwegian city of Arendal, Jenssen stated that it is important to discuss how Ukraine's potential NATO membership can be achieved.

"I think a possible solution for Ukraine could be to give up the territory in exhcange for NATO membership" VG quotes Jenssen.

He, however, underscored that Ukraine "should decide when and under what conditions it wants to negotiate."

Answering further clarification from VG, he noted that discussions about Ukraine's future NATO status following the war are already ongoing, and options including Kyiv giving up parts of its territory are being considered.

"I'm not saying it has to be exactly like that. But it can be a probable solution," explained the head of the NATO Secretary-General's Office.

Ukraine's membership in the Alliance was one of the topics at the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July.

The Vilnius Summit's decision contains relatively positive phrasing regarding Ukraine. In particular, the NATO Summit agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine's path to the Alliance. At the same time, the allies indicated that they would invite Ukraine to join NATO "when conditions are met."

The decision does not list the conditions that Ukraine needs to fulfill, but a mechanism for evaluating these conditions has been established. The Annual National Programme (ANP) serves as a tool for monitoring the reforms carried out by Ukraine, and this tool is already in Ukraine's possession.