Ukraine Warupdated 57m ago2 min read
Zelensky Says US Negotiators Raised Donbas Withdrawal for NATO Membership
“US has floated Ukraine ceding Donbas for Nato membership, Zelensky says”
“This is the first time the question of linking NATO membership to territorial concessions has been raised”
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US negotiators floated Ukraine withdrawing from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership. Zelensky: Kyiv will not retreat from Donbas or surrender territory.
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Donbas for NATO
Volodymyr Zelensky said US negotiators raised whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas if Ukraine joined NATO, and he described it as "the first time this had been raised". Zelensky said he would put any proposal to a referendum if it came with "security guarantees" and included "funds to rebuild" alongside a "strong and well-funded Ukrainian army". Zelensky warned that he had "also heard Putin's signals" and called the conversation "an extremely difficult conversation".
The BBC reported that Zelensky spoke after US envoys visited Moscow and an EU summit in Dublin as part of efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Russia currently occupies roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that compose the Donbas.
Referendum and guarantees
Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine was not willing to cede territory, and he said "We are discussing" a comprehensive security package that could be offered during negotiations. Zelensky said the package would include "specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU" plus "a strong Ukrainian army" and a "Prosperity Plan" backed by funds from clearly identified sources. Zelensky said he would ask Ukrainians for their opinion if the US and other NATO partners confirmed the proposal, adding "I have no right to make that decision on my own."
Zelensky cautioned that he had no trust in the Kremlin, telling reporters, "there is no faith in the comrade in the Kremlin," and he linked that to how Putin talks about state borders. Zelensky said the US side answered his question about whether there would be American soldiers on Ukrainian soil by saying, "No."
War talks and Europe
Reuters said the latest round of peace talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi ended without a major breakthrough, but the sides agreed to a prisoner exchange involving more than 1,000 people. Zelensky said the final numbers for the prisoner swap were still under discussion, and he said "Putin personally does not support a ceasefire." Reuters reported that US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pledged to raise an energy ceasefire with Putin in Moscow, and Zelensky said there was no news of any progress after their talks.
Reuters said Europe would have a seat at the negotiating table in forthcoming peace talks, and it described an Ireland summit where EU leaders agreed that Europe's team would comprise five major military powers plus EU officials. Zelensky said "This war must be ended first" and dismissed Russia's call for a broad agreement on European security architecture before specifics on ending the war in Ukraine.