US floats Ukraine ceding Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, Zelensky says

OPA WIRE, Nov 14 (OPA) — "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 any specific proposal containing security guarantees, unconstrained military capabilities, and reconstruction funds would be put to a national referendum.

The diplomatic push follows high-level discussions involving US envoys, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi and Dublin. US negotiator Jared Kushner later urged confidentiality regarding the sensitive talks, cautioning against reports of maximalist proposals and strong political rhetoric during private negotiations aimed at halting the conflict.

Russia currently occupies roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas, alongside the Crimean Peninsula annexed in 2014. Moscow has maintained its core demands, insisting on Kyiv's neutrality, territorial concessions, and limits on the size of the Ukrainian military before agreeing to a final peace deal.

Ukraine has long viewed the military alliance as its primary security guarantee against future invasions, having faced a full-scale Russian assault launched in February 2022. While Washington has not officially confirmed the specific NATO-for-territory proposal, US officials noted that various concepts continue to be examined as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to broker a settlement.