US proposes NATO membership in exchange for Donbas, expert doubts deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi says the United States has floated the possibility of NATO membership in exchange for Ukraine ceding the Donbas region to Russia, a proposal experts consider highly unlikely to materialize. World politics professor Teivo Teivainen doubts Russia would accept such a deal, as opposing NATO expansion has been central to its rhetoric. He also notes it is unclear whether the cession would be official or de facto, citing President Alexander Stubb's view that Western nations won't recognize Russian sovereignty de jure. Teivainen suggests Zelenskyi may be leveraging Trump's weakened domestic position after Republican election losses to keep NATO membership and security guarantees in the discussion. He adds that ceding Donbas could compromise Ukrainian defense lines, making strong security guarantees even more critical.