US Negotiators Proposed NATO Entry for Ceding Donbas, Zelenskyy Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that negotiators representing United States President Donald Trump offered Ukraine NATO membership in exchange for territorial concessions. According to Zelenskyy, the American proposal was presented under the principle of trading land for NATO entry, requiring Kyiv to hand over the entire Donbas region to Russia.

The requirement set forth by the American negotiators specifies that Ukraine must relinquish all areas of the Donbas. This condition encompasses not only territories already outside Kyiv's control, but also those parts of the region that Ukrainian forces currently maintain and manage. President Zelenskyy stated that he presently rejects any such surrender of Ukrainian territory.

In discussions surrounding the proposal, Zelenskyy linked any potential movement on negotiations to comprehensive security commitments. He stated that for such an agreement to be considered, the United States would first need to provide far-reaching security guarantees to Ukraine.

If the United States agreed to commit to these required security assurances, Zelenskyy stated he would be willing to submit the proposal to the Ukrainian public. In that event, the Ukrainian population would be asked to vote on whether to accept the proposed terms regarding territorial concessions and NATO membership.

The details of the proposition were outlined by the Ukrainian president during recent statements regarding diplomatic contacts with American representatives. The source reporting on these developments does not quote Moscow's position or include a comment from Russian authorities.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com