US proposes NATO membership for Ukraine in exchange for Donbas

The United States has proposed granting Ukraine NATO membership in exchange for ceding the eastern Donbas region to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists, signaling a potential shift in Washington's peace efforts. Zelensky said US peace envoys asked if Kyiv would consider giving up Donetsk and Luhansk as part of a broader security deal, marking the first time Washington raised such an exchange. Discussions include NATO and EU guarantees, military support, and a reconstruction program, though Zelensky stressed territorial concessions require public approval. The talks follow US envoy meetings in Abu Dhabi with Ukrainian and Russian representatives, where a prisoner exchange was agreed but territorial disputes remain unresolved. Russia also accepted EU participation in negotiations, with the bloc naming envoys by late November.