US proposes Ukraine trade Donbas for NATO membership

The United States has proposed that Ukraine consider NATO membership in exchange for withdrawing its troops from the Donbas region, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He stated Ukraine will not retreat from or cede its territories to Russia. Zelenskyy said the American side raised the question for the first time during talks, and he is discussing a comprehensive security package with partners. This includes specific NATO and EU guarantees, a strong Ukrainian army, and a recovery plan, though no concrete proposal has been made yet. The president said he would bring any formal offer to Ukrainian society for public discussion, without recognizing occupied territories as Russian. He noted US guarantees would be bilateral, similar to agreements with Israel, and would not include American soldiers on Ukrainian soil.