Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said US representatives asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas in exchange for joining NATO. He said Kyiv would not agree to give up territory, but a comprehensive settlement with security guarantees could be put to a public vote.
Zelenskyy made the remarks to reporters on November 13, and they were published the following day. He said the question was raised after the latest round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi. DW reported that he described the NATO-for-Donbas idea as a new question in the discussions.
“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’” Zelenskyy said, according to the remarks. He reiterated that Ukraine was not prepared to cede territory to Russia.
Terms of any deal remain unsettled
Zelenskyy said a public vote would be relevant only if an agreement included a broad package: security guarantees, a strong and well-funded Ukrainian army, and funds for reconstruction. The package was still under discussion, and no agreement or formal referendum has been announced.
He said the question of NATO membership was back on the agenda, while warning that Russia’s demands over Europe’s security arrangements could raise the risk of further conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for NATO to pull its troops back from Russia’s borders, Zelenskyy said.
The talks have also involved discussion of who should take part. The European Union said on Friday that diplomats from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland would participate in future peace negotiations. Moscow has opposed European involvement, arguing that those countries support Ukraine.
Reid Bentley