Kyiv, Nov 15 (V7N)- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said US representatives raised the possibility of Ukraine withdrawing its remaining troops from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, although Washington has not officially confirmed such a proposal.
A US official told the BBC that various proposals were being discussed, but any final agreement would require the consent of both Ukraine and Russia.
Zelensky made the remarks in a statement released by his office on Saturday (November 14), following recent diplomatic engagements aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. US representatives recently met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Zelensky in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.
"The Americans raised a question — if Ukraine joins NATO, will they withdraw troops from Donbas? This is the first time such a question has been raised," Zelensky said.
He added that any concrete proposal would be put to a referendum if it included security guarantees, no restrictions on Ukraine's military capabilities and funding for reconstruction.
Ukraine has long sought NATO membership, but several alliance members, including the United States, have opposed the move. Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly said it would not accept a new NATO member on its borders.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has since occupied large parts of the Donbas region. However, Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea of surrendering Ukrainian sovereign territory.
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine reduce the size of its military, surrender territory and commit to neutrality as conditions for a peace agreement. Kyiv fears accepting these demands would weaken its ability to deter future Russian aggression.
Zelensky also alleged that US mediators believe Ukraine must give up territory to secure peace and that Washington is putting pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement quickly. Ukraine, however, fears that Russia's territorial ambitions extend beyond Donbas and considers NATO membership a key guarantee of its future security.
A few hours after Zelensky's statement, US representative Jared Kushner stressed the importance of keeping the negotiations confidential. He said private discussions were continuing to explore new ideas for ending the war and expressed hope that they would produce fresh proposals or a possible way forward.
Russia currently occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, including large parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up Donbas. Moscow has demanded that Kyiv recognise its control over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, as well as the remaining parts of Donbas. Russia has also refused to agree to a ceasefire before a comprehensive peace settlement is reached.
According to the report, the future of Donbas was one of the central issues discussed during the latest talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi this week.
Meanwhile, relations between Kyiv and Washington have recently come under strain over Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil facilities. US President Donald Trump had asked Ukraine to temporarily halt the attacks to maintain Russian diesel supplies and help control fuel prices on the global market.
Zelensky subsequently accused US officials of restricting the Starlink internet service used in Ukraine's defence operations. Trump, meanwhile, said Ukraine needed a new president and elections.
Elections in Ukraine have been suspended under martial law. Zelensky has said he is willing to hold elections within a few months if a peace agreement is reached. He has also indicated that he would be prepared to leave the presidency in exchange for Ukraine securing NATO membership.
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