US Proposes Ukraine Cede Territory to Russia in Exchange for NATO Membership, Zelensky Says
Adedokun Waliyu
2 min read
The United States has suggested for the first time that Ukraine could surrender part of its territory to Russia in exchange for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed.
Zelensky disclosed this in comments released on Saturday, adding that Russia had rejected a proposal for a ceasefire targeting energy infrastructure during recent peace talks.
He said Russia was “betting everything” on its military campaign this winter, while warning that the Kremlin’s demands to reshape Europe’s security architecture were dangerous and could trigger further conflicts.
The Ukrainian leader spoke to journalists on Friday following visits to Denmark and Ireland, where he met European leaders after two days of United States-brokered negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
The talks ended without a breakthrough in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. However, all parties reportedly agreed that European officials should participate in future negotiations.
“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelensky said.
He explained that Ukraine was discussing specific security guarantees from NATO and the European Union, adding that he would present any confirmed proposal to the Ukrainian people for consideration.
According to Zelensky, he would not make such a significant decision unilaterally.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff participated in the Abu Dhabi negotiations before holding separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky.
Moscow, however, rejected a proposal for a ceasefire on attacks targeting energy infrastructure, according to the Ukrainian president.
“On the proposal for an energy ceasefire: the Russians don’t want it,” Zelensky said.
He also described Putin’s proposal for a “humanitarian mission” to Kostyantynivka as an attempt to pressure Kyiv into withdrawing from the embattled city, potentially allowing Russian forces to advance towards other settlements in the Donetsk region.
Russia claimed earlier this year that it had captured the town, but Ukraine maintains that fighting is still ongoing.
“Putin simply wants us to leave Kostiantynivka so that they can move in and occupy the entire city that way,” Zelensky said.
Russian forces have gradually advanced westwards since launching their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but have yet to capture the entire Donetsk region.
Zelensky maintained that the European Union and NATO remained Europe’s only credible security framework, warning that Moscow’s efforts to reshape the continent’s security arrangements could create conditions for further wars and escalations.
