President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that United States negotiators proposed Ukraine withdraw its forces from the Donbas region in exchange for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The remarks, released by his office on Saturday, mark a significant public disclosure regarding the terms being explored in ongoing peace discussions.
Zelensky confirmed that US envoys raised the question of whether Kyiv would leave the eastern Donbas if it could join the military alliance. He noted this was the first time the specific trade-off had been formally presented to him. The Ukrainian leader emphasized that he remains unwilling to surrender sovereign territory without concrete security guarantees, unrestricted military capabilities, and substantial funding for reconstruction.
US Envoys Seek Confidentiality
Following Zelensky’s comments, Jared Kushner, one of the US mediators, urged all parties to maintain confidentiality. He described the negotiations as a sensitive process and warned against sharing “maximalist” proposals or strong political rhetoric that had emerged from the talks. Kushner characterized the discussions as private efforts to find a breakthrough in what he called a “horrible war,” suggesting that public statements could hinder progress.
A US official told the BBC that many ideas are still under discussion but any final agreement requires consent from both sides. The United States has not officially confirmed Zelensky’s account of the proposal. The envoy team, which also includes Steve Witkoff, traveled to Dublin to meet Zelensky after holding separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Stalemate on Territorial Concessions
The proposal highlights the deep divide between the warring parties. Russia currently occupies roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas. Moscow has insisted that any peace deal must include Ukraine ceding control of these areas, as well as the Crimean peninsula annexed in 2014. Russian officials have also demanded limits on Ukraine’s military size and guaranteed neutrality.
Kyiv has consistently rejected these conditions, arguing that territorial concessions and military restrictions would leave the country vulnerable to future aggression. Zelensky stated that he would only consider a referendum on any territorial compromise if it came with a comprehensive package of security guarantees and reconstruction funds. He previously indicated he would be willing to hold elections and step down from the presidency once a peace deal is reached.
Other NATO members remain wary of admitting Ukraine, and the alliance itself has previously opposed membership while the war continues. Russia has cited NATO expansion as a primary justification for its full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. The Kremlin has recently renewed calls for a “new European security architecture,” a phrase widely interpreted as an attempt to weaken the alliance’s influence.
Tensions between Kyiv and Washington have also flared recently over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities and disputes regarding Starlink internet service access. Despite these friction points, the US continues to mediate between the two sides. Zelensky described the current negotiations as an “extremely difficult conversation” on European security, noting that the idea of trading land for alliance membership is now back on the agenda.
Source: BBC
