Zelensky Says US Proposed Ukraine Withdraw From Donbas in Exchange for NATO Membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that 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 Washington has linked territorial concessions to the military alliance.

“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelensky said in remarks released by his office on Saturday.

He added that the proposal has put NATO membership “back on the agenda” as part of what he called an “extremely difficult conversation” on European security.

The disclosure followed two days of US-mediated talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi, after which US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Zelensky in Dublin and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

A US official told the BBC that “many ideas continue to be discussed but any final deal will have to be agreed to by both parties”.

Zelensky reiterated that Kyiv remains unwilling to concede sovereign territory but indicated he would put any comprehensive package to a national referendum.

“I have no right to make that decision on my own,” he said, stressing that any deal would require specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU, a strong and well-funded military, and reconstruction funds.

The Kremlin has long opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership, citing it as a reason for launching the 2022 invasion.

Putin has also demanded that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region, which Russia partially occupies, as a condition for peace.

Zelensky warned that Russia’s push for a broader European security framework before ending the war is “dangerous” and could lead to more conflict.

Kushner later appeared to dampen expectations, urging “confidentiality” in the sensitive process and referring to “maximalist” proposals being reported from the negotiations.

The Abu Dhabi talks ended without a breakthrough on a ceasefire or territorial disputes, though the sides reportedly agreed to expand future rounds to include European partners.