Zelensky: US proposes NATO membership in exchange for Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbas

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US has for the first time raised the question of whether Ukraine would withdraw from the Donbas in exchange for NATO membership. Zelensky stated Ukraine does not retreat or surrender its lands to terrorists, and that the proposal is part of a broader security package under discussion, including specific NATO and EU guarantees, a strong army, and a recovery plan. He said he would consult Ukrainian society before making any decision. The remarks follow reports that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has privately expressed doubts about Ukraine joining NATO soon and warned that Russia's capture of all of Donbas would not satisfy Kremlin ambitions.