Zelensky says US floated Donbas withdrawal for NATO membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States has asked for the first time whether Ukraine would withdraw from the parts of the eastern Donbas region it still controls in exchange for joining NATO — an idea he said he would put to a national vote rather than decide alone.

Speaking to reporters in remarks released by his office, Zelenskyy recounted the question as posed by U.S. negotiators: "What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas? This was the first time this had been raised."

'NATO is back on the agenda'

According to accounts of his comments, Zelenskyy said the proposal could form part of a new postwar security framework for Europe, adding, "That is why I believe NATO is back on the agenda." But he cautioned that the idea could allow Russia to weaken the alliance and reshape borders. "This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations," he said.

Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv was not ready to concede territory. He said that if Ukraine received a comprehensive package — security guarantees, the right to a strong and well-funded army, and money to rebuild — he would put the question to a national referendum. "I have no right to make that decision on my own," he said.

The security package under discussion would include guarantees from NATO and the European Union, an adequately equipped Ukrainian army, financial support for a set period, and a "Prosperity Plan" or recovery plan backed by identified funding, according to the Kyiv Independent.

What the US has offered so far

Zelenskyy said he had asked for guarantees modeled on NATO's Article 5, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, as "an absolute minimum." He said Washington now describes the guarantees as something closer to Articles 4 and 5, and that when he asked whether U.S. troops would be deployed on Ukrainian soil, the American side answered no. He said U.S. officials characterized the proposal as bilateral guarantees similar to those extended to Israel.

Donbas comprises Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, a strategically vital eastern region Russian forces have been unable to fully capture since 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine pull its forces out of Donbas as a precondition for peace, and in September 2022 declared the annexation of four eastern regions — moves unrecognized by the United States and the United Nations.

Washington and NATO have not commented on the reported swap idea. The remarks followed U.S.-mediated trilateral talks involving Washington, Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, which yielded agreement that European countries would join future negotiations.