Zelenskyy says US floated NATO membership in exchange for Ukraine ceding parts of Donbas

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States raised the question of whether Ukraine would withdraw from parts of the Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, marking the first time such a proposal was made. He reiterated that Kyiv will not surrender its territory. The proposal was discussed following US-mediated peace negotiations with Russia in Abu Dhabi, which ended without a breakthrough. Zelenskyy said Russia is "betting everything" on this winter's campaign, and he rejected Moscow's suggestion to overhaul Europe's security architecture before ending the war. Zelenskyy indicated he could put the territorial question to a national referendum if Ukraine received comprehensive security guarantees, military funding, and reconstruction support. He also rejected a Russian-proposed humanitarian ceasefire in Kostiantynivka, alleging Moscow seeks to occupy the city.