US Offers Ukraine NATO Path in Exchange for Donbas Cession, Zelensky Says

The United States has proposed Ukraine cede the Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed Friday. Zelensky said he lacks the mandate to approve such a compromise alone. Washington directly raised the possibility of withdrawing Ukrainian forces from the industrial basin bordering Russia to unblock Kyiv's entry into the Atlantic Alliance, according to BFMTV. Zelensky said Kyiv is also negotiating specific security guarantees with NATO and the European Union, and promised to consult the Ukrainian people on any potential agreement. Zelensky rejected Kremlin demands to redraw European security as dangerous, warning of further escalation. He said Russia is betting everything on its winter military campaign ahead of the fifth anniversary of the invasion, and reiterated calls for immediate Western support, including new US sanctions and additional weapons deliveries.