Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said US mediators raised an unusual option during the latest talks to end the war with Russia: Ukraine would withdraw its forces from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for joining NATO, according to a Reuters report.
Zelensky made the remarks after the most recent round of US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi. He said it was the first time the negotiations had raised the possibility of linking a territorial concession by Kyiv to its admission into the Western military alliance.
According to Zelensky, the Americans put the question this way: "What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?" He said the idea brought the question of NATO membership back to the center of the discussions. He called it an especially complex issue, in part because Russian President Vladimir Putin fiercely opposes such a move.
Zelensky said Ukraine is not prepared to give up territory at this stage. He did, however, outline a scenario that could change that. If Ukraine received a comprehensive settlement package with significant security guarantees, the ability to maintain a strong and well-funded army, and money to rebuild the country, he said he would be willing to put the question of territorial concessions to a public referendum.
The dispute is not limited to Ukraine's borders. Zelensky rejected Moscow's demand to first negotiate a reshaping of Europe's entire security architecture and only then reach an agreement to end the war. "You can't turn everything upside down and start talking about changing the security framework of the world or the whole continent, and only afterward talk about ending this war. First the war has to end," he said.
Jared Kushner, President Trump's envoy, also commented on the talks. He acknowledged that both sides had presented far-reaching positions, but said that in private both understand practical compromises will be needed to end the war. "Serious and constructive work continues among those committed to finding solutions," Kushner wrote.
The two sides also remain divided over ceasefires. Zelensky rejected a proposal by Putin for a local humanitarian pause in the city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region. He argued it was a Russian attempt to get Ukrainians to leave the city so Moscow's forces could take it over.
"Putin simply wants us to leave Kostiantynivka so that they can come in and take over the whole city that way," Zelensky charged. He said Ukraine had given Russia a list of seven or eight other front-line communities where civilians, including children, remain and could benefit from a humanitarian ceasefire. According to Zelensky, Russia prefers to treat those communities as military targets. Moscow denies that it targets civilians.
Despite the disagreements, the Abu Dhabi talks produced an agreement in principle on a large-scale prisoner exchange expected to involve more than 1,000 people. Zelensky said the final numbers are still under discussion.
Kushner and fellow Trump envoy Steve Witkoff also pledged to raise the possibility of an energy ceasefire with Putin at their meeting in Moscow. Zelensky said no progress on that front had been reported so far. "Putin personally does not support a ceasefire," he said.
