For the first time, Washington has raised the possibility of Ukraine withdrawing from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this, clarifying that any concrete proposal would be put to Ukrainian citizens for a decision.
Zelensky said such an agreement could be considered only if it came with strong, binding security guarantees from the US and NATO allies. In his view, these should include protection at the level of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, military assistance, and funding to rebuild the country after the war. He nevertheless insisted that Ukraine would not legally recognize the occupied territories as part of the Russian Federation.
Të lidhura
None found
“I will ask our society what it thinks: do we accept it or not?” the president said, stressing that he could not make such a decision alone. Other ways of guaranteeing Ukraine’s security are also being considered in the negotiations, including bilateral agreements with the United States similar to US commitments to Israel. These could provide for the deployment of US forces, air defense systems, and ongoing military assistance.
The Ukrainian president also expressed reservations about Moscow’s intentions. He warned US negotiators that Vladimir Putin is not trustworthy and that the Kremlin could use diplomacy to prolong the war. The remarks came after the second round of US-mediated trilateral talks, held on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi.
No concrete agreement has been made public so far. However, discussing Donbas alongside Ukraine’s NATO membership shows that the negotiations have reached a sensitive point, where the conflict’s most difficult issues are also being addressed: territory, security, and Ukraine’s future.
