US suggested Ukraine could give up Donbas for NATO membership, Zelenskyy says

Résumé détaillé

“This was the first time this had been raised,” the Ukrainian president told reporters.

The U.S. has floated the idea of Ukraine joining NATO in exchange for withdrawing from its eastern Donbas region as part of negotiations to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday.

“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Friday, a day after he met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Dublin.

The Donbas region in Ukraine’s far east borders Russia, and Moscow declared it had annexed the region in 2022 after its full-scale invasion. The vast majority of the region is occupied by Russian troops.

“I have said repeatedly: Ukraine is not retreating and is not giving up its land to terrorists,” Zelenskyy told reporters.

The White House and U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zelenskyy said he was discussing a “comprehensive security package” with partners that would include specific guarantees from NATO and the EU, a strong Ukrainian army with adequate troops, weapons and financial support for a set period and a recovery plan with clear funding attached.

“But we need specifics, and we don't have them yet. All of this is still under discussion,” the president said.

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