US negotiators have proposed that Ukraine cede parts of eastern Donbas to Russia in exchange for NATO membership, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said this was the first time the question of linking NATO membership to territorial concessions had been raised, following peace talks in Abu Dhabi and Ireland.
"The Americans raised a question: 'What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?'" Zelenskyy told reporters.
Zelenskyy rejected the proposal. He said the parts of Donbas in question were areas Russia does not currently control, and he refused to cede Ukrainian territory. He also rejected the possibility of Ukraine committing to neutrality, saying that would require changing the country's constitution.
Zelenskyy said he would consider putting the question to a national referendum only if Ukraine received a comprehensive package that included security guarantees, military and reconstruction funds, and a recovery plan from the US and other partners. He stressed that any arrangement would not involve recognising occupied territories as Russian.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long cited Ukrainian NATO membership as a red line, naming it as one reason for Russia's full-blown invasion in 2022.