Zelensky says US floated Nato membership in exchange for Ukraine ceding Donbas

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that US negotiators raised the possibility of Ukraine withdrawing its remaining troops from the eastern Donbas region in return for Nato membership. He said this was the first time such an idea had been put forward by American officials.

Washington has not verified Zelensky's account. A US official told the BBC that numerous proposals are still under discussion, but any final agreement would require approval from both Ukraine and Russia.

Zelensky's remarks followed meetings between US envoys and both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukrainian leader, part of ongoing American efforts to broker an end to the war. Ukraine has long pushed for Nato membership, a move previously resisted by Washington and other allies, while Moscow has repeatedly said it would not accept another Nato member sharing its border.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, currently controls most of the Donbas industrial region. Zelensky has consistently maintained that Ukraine will not surrender sovereign territory.

He added that if he were presented with a concrete proposal guaranteeing Ukraine's security, imposing no limits on its armed forces, and providing funding for reconstruction, he would put the matter to a public referendum.

The developments came after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff travelled to Dublin on Thursday to meet Zelensky, following earlier talks with Putin in Moscow.