US asked Ukraine to trade Donbas for Nato membership, Zelenskyy reveals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the US asked whether Ukraine would give up Donbas in exchange for Nato membership, a question he said had never been raised before. He stressed that the EU and Nato are essential for Europe's security. Zelenskyy said Kyiv is in talks on specific security guarantees from Nato and the EU, and he would put any proposal to the Ukrainian public for a decision. He warned that Russia's attempts to alter Europe's security architecture could lead to wars or escalations. The remarks come ahead of a meeting of US, Chinese and Russian leaders in Shenzhen on the sidelines of the APEC summit. The war in Ukraine is nearly five years old, and Moscow has deepened ties with Iran.