President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed suggestions that Ukraine should commit to neutrality or surrender territory to Russia.
Following recent peace negotiations in Ireland and Abu Dhabi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that US negotiators suggested Ukraine could cede portions of the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership.
According to remarks released by his office on Saturday, this marks the first instance where territorial concessions have been explicitly linked to the possibility of joining the alliance.
“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’” Zelenskyy stated, noting that the proposal indicates NATO membership has returned to the diplomatic agenda.
Zelenskyy clarified that the US inquiry concerned areas of the Donbas that are not currently under Russian control. He firmly rejected the idea of surrendering land, arguing that President Vladimir Putin’s drive to redraw European borders is a dangerous precedent that invites further escalation and conflict.
Moscow has consistently maintained that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership is a “red line,” a stance that served as a primary justification for the 2022 invasion.
However, Zelenskyy indicated a conditional openness to the idea: should the US and its partners provide a comprehensive package—including robust security guarantees, military aid, and a full reconstruction plan—he would submit the question of ceding parts of the Donbas to a national referendum.
“If the American side confirms precisely this to us, together with other NATO partners, then I will ask our Ukrainian society what it thinks,” he said.
The President emphasized that any such agreement would not entail recognizing occupied territories as Russian. He also dismissed the possibility of Ukraine adopting a neutral status, stating that such a move would necessitate a constitutional change and is currently unacceptable.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, hostilities continue. Recent reports indicate a surge in overnight attacks, with Russian officials claiming approximately 1,200 Ukrainian drones targeted their oil infrastructure, while Ukraine reported strikes on a hospital and the port of Odesa.
Meanwhile, at a recent summit in Ireland, EU leaders established a diplomatic coalition for peace talks. This group will consist of EU officials and five major military powers: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom. This coalition intends to coordinate with US and Ukrainian representatives, though they will not engage directly with Russia.