Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (second, left) and Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda (second, right) address the public during an event on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

KYIV - Ukraine will not cede its territories to Russia to obtain NATO membership, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said Tuesday.

"The talks about Ukraine joining NATO in exchange for giving up parts of Ukrainian territories are absolutely unacceptable," Nikolenko wrote on Facebook.

He emphasized that Ukraine is committed to further cooperation with NATO to achieve full membership in the alliance.

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The statement came after a comment from Stian Jenssen, the director of the private office of the NATO Secretary General, who proposed that Ukraine cede part of its territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership to end the conflict, the Ukrinform news agency reported.