Zelensky says U.S. linked Donbas cession to NATO membership in talks

U.S. negotiators asked Ukraine whether it would cede the Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday, marking the first time territorial concessions were linked to alliance entry during peace talks. Zelensky said Kyiv is not ready to concede territory, but he would put the question to a national referendum if a comprehensive package included security guarantees, a strong Ukrainian army, and reconstruction funds. Russia has long cited NATO membership as a red line for Moscow. The U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi concluded Wednesday with a prisoner exchange involving over 1,000 people but no major breakthrough. Zelensky dismissed Putin's ceasefire proposal for Kostiantynivka, saying Moscow wants to occupy the city, and rejected Russia's call for broader security talks before ending the war.