Zelensky: US asked for the first time whether Ukraine is ready to withdraw troops from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership
If the US and other NATO countries confirm the proposal, Zelensky will submit this issue for public discussion.
Volodymyr Zelensky greets President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, behind them is Jared Kushner. Photo: Press service of the President of Ukraine
American negotiators have for the first time asked Kyiv whether Ukraine would agree to withdraw troops from Donbas if the country becomes a NATO member. Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists about this.
According to him, there is no concrete proposal yet.
If the US and other NATO countries confirm it, Zelensky will submit this issue for public discussion. Kyiv has no intention of recognizing the occupied territories as Russian.
“I have repeatedly said: Ukraine does not retreat and does not give up its lands to terrorists. The Americans posed the question: ‘And if Ukraine is in NATO, will Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This happened for the first time,” the politician stated.
Kyiv is discussing with partners guarantees from NATO and the European Union, arms supplies, and financing for the Ukrainian army, as well as a reconstruction plan for the country with clearly defined funding sources.
According to Zelensky, the US is talking about bilateral guarantees modeled after NATO Articles 4 and 5. When asked whether American troops would appear in Ukraine in such a case, the negotiators answered in the negative.
Ukraine would refuse to enshrine neutrality in its Constitution, as such a status will not ensure its long-term security.
According to Zelensky, Russia does not want to stop strikes on energy infrastructure.
At the talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, the Russian delegation stated that it had no authority to negotiate an energy truce. The parties also did not discuss other ceasefire options in detail.
“Resolve this with Putin,” is how Zelensky conveyed the Russian side's response.
Zelensky suggested that several people would represent Europe in the next round. Among the options discussed in Abu Dhabi was the participation of the leaders of the EU and NATO.
Zelensky described the humanitarian corridor proposed by Moscow from the town in Donetsk region as an attempt to achieve the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops and capture Kostiantynivka.
According to him, fighting is taking place in the town, and almost no civilians remain there.
“Putin simply wants us to leave Kostiantynivka so that they can enter and thus occupy the entire town. (…) After Kostiantynivka, there will be Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. They want to destroy these cities, kill all our people. That is their idea,” Zelensky stated.