U.S. proposes NATO membership for Ukraine in exchange for Donbas withdrawal, Zelensky says

U.S. negotiators have proposed that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Zelensky’s remarks on Saturday follow recent visits by U.S. envoys to Moscow and an EU summit in Dublin, both aimed at advancing peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine.

Kyiv has long regarded NATO membership as a prerequisite for any peace agreement, viewing it as a deterrent against further aggression, whereas Moscow has declared that having a NATO member on its border would be unacceptable.

Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine will not relinquish sovereign territory, even as Russia continues to demand control over the Donbas region.

“The Americans asked: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time such a scenario was raised,” Zelensky told reporters on Saturday.

He added that if a proposal included robust security guarantees, no limits on Ukraine’s military capabilities, and financing for reconstruction, he would submit it to a national referendum.

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff traveled to Dublin on Thursday to meet with Zelensky, following preliminary discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Statements from both Putin and Kremlin officials indicate that Russia’s stance remains unchanged, with Moscow’s territorial and neutrality demands still far beyond Ukraine’s willingness to compromise.

Moscow has previously insisted on capping Ukraine’s military size, obtaining territorial concessions, and guaranteeing Kyiv’s neutrality as prerequisites for any peace agreement.

Ukraine has rejected these terms, contending that such restrictions would weaken its capacity to defend against further incursions.

Nevertheless, recent developments suggest potential common ground: last month, U.S. First Lady Melania Trump facilitated a temporary ceasefire in the Kherson region to enable evacuations and humanitarian aid.

U.S. officials had previously indicated that Ukrainian NATO membership was not an option.

Zelensky remarked on Saturday that the U.S. proposal led him to conclude that “NATO is back on the agenda.”

He warned, however: “You have also heard Putin’s signals, and this is an extremely difficult conversation.”

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