US suggested Ukraine could trade Donbas for Nato membership, says Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that American negotiators raised the possibility of Ukraine leaving the Donbas region in return for joining the alliance.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that US negotiators have proposed the idea of Ukraine pulling its remaining troops from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for Nato membership. According to BBC News, this was the first time such a question had been raised by the Americans.
The proposal follows a visit to Dublin by US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who met Zelensky after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Zelensky noted that the suggestion made him believe Nato membership is once again being discussed.
Zelensky told reporters that he would submit any proposal to a referendum if it included security guarantees, funds for reconstruction, and no restrictions on the Ukrainian military. He described the situation as an extremely difficult conversation given the signals sent by Putin.
Russia currently occupies approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas. While Moscow has demanded territorial concessions and neutrality, Kyiv has previously rejected these terms to protect against future invasions.
Zelensky has maintained that Ukraine is unwilling to surrender sovereign land. He has previously expressed a willingness to hold elections within months of a peace deal and would step down as president in exchange for Nato membership.
