• A NATO official has prompted ire from Ukrainian leaders after suggesting that the war-torn country could join the military alliance if it ceded some of its territory to Russia. Ukrainska Pravda (a)
• Stian Jenssen, who has been NATO Secretary Gen. Jens Stoltenberg's chief of staff since 2017, made the comments at a speaking event in Arendal, Norway. He said, "I think that a solution could be for Ukraine to give up territory and get NATO membership in return." Newsweek (LR: 1 CP: 5)
• However, he stressed that "it must be up to Ukraine to decide when and on what terms they want to negotiate." Newsweek (LR: 1 CP: 5)
• Nonetheless, the statements drew angry responses from Ukrainian officials. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy, said: "Trading territory for a NATO umbrella? It is ridiculous. That means deliberately choosing the defeat of democracy, encouraging a global criminal, preserving the Russian regime, destroying international law, and passing the war on to other generations." Ukrainska Pravda (a)
• Meanwhile, Ukraine's foreign ministry issued a statement in which it described Jenssen's comments as "absolutely unacceptable." It said: "We have always assumed that the alliance, like Ukraine, does not trade territories. The conscious or unconscious participation of NATO officials in shaping the narrative regarding the possibility of Ukraine's giving up its territories plays into the hands of Russia." Ukrainska Pravda (b)
• Later in the day, NATO issued a statement stating: "We fully support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as NATO leaders reaffirmed at the Vilnius Summit in July. We will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary, and we are committed to achieving a just and lasting peace." Newsweek (LR: 1 CP: 5)

Pro-Ukraine narrative:

• Any talk of Ukraine giving up its territory to secure a peace deal is unacceptable. NATO should be working to ensure that Ukraine has all the weapons it needs to successfully repel Russia from all its territories — not making statements that favor the enemy.
  Ukrainska Pravda

Pro-establishment narrative:

• NATO fully supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. These were simply off-hand remarks that suggested a hypothetical of how the war may end, but the input to a solution is Ukraine's to make.
  Newsweek (LR: 1 CP: 5)

Nerd narrative:

• There is a 1% chance that Ukraine will join NATO before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)