US negotiators have floated the idea that Ukraine should cede parts of eastern Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, after the latest rounds of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi and Ireland.
This is the first time the question of linking NATO membership to territorial concessions has been raised, Zelenskyy told reporters in remarks released by his office on Saturday.
“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?” he said. “That is why I believe NATO is back on the agenda.”
Zelenskyy said the parts of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine the US asked about were areas Russia does not control. The Ukrainian president said he refused to cede territory.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s desire to change borders in Europe is a fact. I am sure this is part of his concept of revising security guarantees in Europe,” he said. “This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations.”
Putin has long said that Ukrainian membership of NATO is a red line for Moscow, citing the issue as one reason for launching Russia’s full-blown invasion in 2022.
Zelenskyy did say that if Ukraine received a comprehensive package, including security guarantees, military and reconstruction funds, and a recovery plan from the US and other partners, he would put the question about ceding parts of Donbas to a national referendum.
“If the American side confirms precisely this to us, together with other NATO partners, then I will ask our Ukrainian society what it thinks: do we accept it or not?” Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that any arrangement would not involve recognising occupied territories as Russian. Zelenskyy also rejected the possibility of Ukraine committing to neutrality, saying that would require changing the country’s constitution.
“If Putin expects Ukraine’s neutrality to be enshrined, that’s not going to happen,” he said. “We’re not in NATO right now anyway.”
Despite the diplomatic push to end the conflict, Russia and Ukraine reported numerous overnight attacks . Russian officials reported on Friday that about 1,200 Ukrainian drones were fired at the country, with oil infrastructure among the targets, while Ukraine reported attacks on a hospital and the port of Odesa.
At the summit in Ireland over recent days, EU leaders agreed that Europe’s team for any Ukraine peace talks would comprise five major military powers – non-EU member Britain plus France, Germany, Italy and Poland – as well as EU officials. They would hold talks with US and Ukrainian officials, but not with Russia.
