Zelensky Says US Floated Ukraine Ceding Donbas for NATO Membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said US negotiators raised the idea of Ukraine withdrawing its remaining forces from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, saying it was the first time the question had been posed. The comments followed talks in which US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and then Zelensky in Dublin. Zelensky said he would put any proposal with security guarantees, no military constraints and reconstruction funds to a referendum. Russian officials said the idea was not discussed in Moscow.
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Zelenskyy Says US Floated NATO Membership in Exchange for Donbas Withdrawal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States has floated a proposal under which Ukraine would cede the Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, according to reports by the Financial Times, BBC, Bloomberg and France 24. The suggestion was described as a US idea presented in the context of a possible withdrawal arrangement from the Donbas. Al Jazeera reported the claim alongside news that three people were killed in Russia. The reports attribute the characterization of the proposal to Zelenskyy, and the details of any formal offer, its conditions, and the US or NATO response are not established in the source material. The item reflects ongoing diplomatic discussion rather than a confirmed agreement.
Read sourceUS Floats Ukraine Ceding Land for NATO Membership, Zelenskyy Says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington proposed the idea of Ukraine ceding land to Russia in exchange for NATO membership, telling reporters the Americans asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas in return for joining the alliance. Zelenskyy said this was the first time the question had been raised, that Kyiv was discussing specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU, and that he would ask Ukrainians whether they accepted such terms, stating he has no right to decide alone. The report follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting in Moscow with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, where Putin signalled Russia would not back down on territorial demands and rejected foreign peacekeeping troops. Russian officials, including Maria Zakharova and Yuri Ushakov, said the NATO-for-territory idea was not discussed in Moscow and questioned whether Europeans want peace.
Read sourceZelensky says US floated NATO membership in exchange for Donbas withdrawal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States raised the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO on the condition that Kyiv withdraw from the Donbas region. Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said this was the first time the question had been posed. He added that Kyiv is discussing specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU, and that any agreement ending the war would be put to a Ukrainian vote, stating he has no right to decide alone. Zelensky said such a package must include concrete NATO and EU assurances, a well-funded Ukrainian army, and reconstruction support. He called Russian President Vladimir Putin's push to reshape Europe's security architecture dangerous, and reiterated Ukraine's rejection of a neutral status, a key Russian demand. Russia has occupied much of the Donbas since its February 2022 invasion and claims the entire region, while opposing Ukraine's NATO membership.
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US floated Ukraine ceding Donbas for Nato membership, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said US negotiators raised the idea of Ukraine withdrawing its remaining forces from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for Nato membership, marking the first time the proposal was floated. The comments came after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Zelensky in Dublin following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Zelensky said if he received a proposal with security guarantees, no constraints on Ukraine's military, and reconstruction funds, he would put it to a referendum. Russia currently occupies roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including most of Donbas, and Moscow's demands on territory and neutrality continue to exceed what Kyiv is prepared to consider. Zelensky cautioned that Putin's signals make the conversation extremely difficult, though he said the US proposal made him believe Nato is back on the agenda.
Read sourceZelensky Says US Floated Ukraine Ceding Donbas for Nato Membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said US negotiators raised the idea of Ukraine withdrawing its remaining forces from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for Nato membership, marking the first time the proposal had been floated. The comments came after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Zelensky in Dublin following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Kyiv has long sought Nato membership as a condition of any peace deal, while Russia opposes another Nato member on its border and has demanded territorial concessions and Ukrainian neutrality. Zelensky said that if he received a proposal with security guarantees, no constraints on Ukraine's military, and reconstruction funds, he would put it to a referendum. He cautioned that Putin's signals make the conversation extremely difficult, and noted the US proposal made him believe Nato is back on the agenda.
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