US tempers Zelensky's NATO hopes as territorial talks stall

The United States has downplayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that Washington proposed ceding territory in exchange for NATO membership, a key issue in ongoing negotiations. Zelensky said Saturday that US officials asked if Ukraine would withdraw from the Donbas region in exchange for NATO accession, marking the first time such a question was raised. However, US envoy Jared Kushner dismissed "maximalist positions" from both sides while affirming NATO remains essential to European security. The Abu Dhabi talks, the first since February, produced no decisive breakthrough but agreed on European participation in future negotiations, with France, Germany, the UK, Poland, and Italy set to represent the continent.