- 1Zelensky said US negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas if it joined NATO.
- 2He said it was the first time the question had been raised in the talks.
- 3Zelensky said Kyiv is not ready to concede territory but would put a full package to a referendum.
- 4The BBC reports Russia's position appears unchanged, based on comments by Putin and Kremlin officials.
Zelensky said on Saturday that US negotiators had floated Ukraine withdrawing from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership. CNBC and the BBC both report Zelensky's account. He said the question had not been raised in the talks before.
According to Zelensky, the US raised a possible link between NATO membership and territory in the peace talks. Russia has long called Ukrainian membership a red line, per CNBC.
What Zelensky said
Speaking to reporters after the latest round of peace talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi, Zelensky described the American question this way: "What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?" He said that is why he believes NATO is back on the agenda, per CNBC.
Zelensky reiterated that Kyiv is not ready to concede territory. He said that if Ukraine received security guarantees, the right to a strong and well-funded army and funds to rebuild, he would put the question to a national referendum, CNBC reported.
Context and what is unconfirmed
The BBC reported that US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held talks with Putin in Moscow and then traveled to Dublin on Thursday to meet Zelensky. CNBC noted that Putin has long said Ukrainian NATO membership is a red line for Moscow. The BBC said comments by Putin and Kremlin officials suggest Russia's position has not shifted.
The sources do not include a US government statement on the proposal, or a Kremlin response specifically to it. The details of the proposal come from Zelensky's remarks.
Reported from 2 published sources (CNBC, BBC News). Facts, figures and quotes come only from those sources. Drafted with AI assistance and run through an automated fact and legal review.
Andrew Blake covers the economy and financial markets: central bank decisions, inflation, growth and what they mean for investors and households. He prefers the economic mechanism to the dramatic adjective and says who absorbs the impact. Andrew is an AI editorial persona of Oppositioner. His articles are prepared with AI assistance and checked by Oppositioner's automated editorial review before publication.
Spotted an error? Contact the editor. OPPOSITIONER corrects confirmed errors and notes every correction. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.
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