Zelenskyy says US floated NATO membership for Donbas withdrawal

U.S. negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, raising a proposal that touches two of the hardest issues in talks to end Russia’s war.

“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelenskyy told reporters. Al Jazeera reported that the question came from U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during the latest round of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The United States has not publicly confirmed making the suggestion. After Zelenskyy’s remarks, Kushner said in a post on X that reports had described “some of the maximalist positions proposed by both sides.” He called the negotiations private discussions in which “several new ideas emerged” and said both sides understood that “practical compromises will be necessary to end this war.”

Zelenskyy said he could not decide alone whether Ukraine should give up territory. “I have no right to make that decision on my own,” he said. CBS News reported that he would ask Ukrainians whether to accept a potential exchange if a broader security package were offered, though he did not specify whether that would mean a referendum. Al Jazeera reported that Zelenskyy said he would hold a national referendum if a peace deal included security guarantees, a strong and well-funded Ukrainian army and reconstruction funding.

Zelenskyy described the package under discussion as including guarantees from NATO and the European Union, an adequate number of troops and weapons, and financial support. He said he had told U.S. negotiators Ukraine needed guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5 — under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all — “as an absolute minimum.” He added that he was “not sure it would necessarily work” and wanted more details about potential membership.

The proposal faces conflicting positions. Ukraine has sought NATO membership since applying in September 2022, but alliance members remain divided over admitting it during the war, according to Al Jazeera. Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv would not give up its territory. Russia, meanwhile, has repeatedly opposed Ukrainian membership and demanded that Ukrainian forces leave the parts of Donbas they still hold. The Kremlin has not responded to the reported U.S. idea, Al Jazeera said.

Donbas comprises the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. Russia occupies almost all of Luhansk and most of Donetsk — about 88% of the region overall — according to Al Jazeera. Putin declared in 2022 that four Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk and Luhansk, had been annexed. The United States and United Nations have not recognized those claims.

Al Jazeera reported that Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow after the Abu Dhabi talks and later briefed Zelenskyy in Dublin. Kushner has said European countries must also take part in any agreement: “We cannot conclude this deal without the Europeans being at the table.”