Zelensky: US ties NATO membership to Ukraine ceding territory

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the United States proposed Ukraine join NATO in exchange for ceding Ukrainian territories, a suggestion he said he would put to the public if formalized with concrete security guarantees. Zelensky said the US asked if Ukraine would withdraw from the Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, but stressed he would not recognize occupied territories as Russian. He noted details are still under discussion and requires public opinion before any decision. The remarks follow recent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi and US envoy visits to Moscow and Dublin. Meanwhile, Russia has reportedly proposed a "humanitarian operation" in Kostiantynivka, which Zelensky warned is a pretext to occupy the city and advance on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.