Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed this Saturday that during the Trump administration, U.S. negotiators first suggested the possibility of Ukraine giving up its remaining control over the Donbas region in exchange for joining NATO, as reported by the BBC.
Zelensky shared with reporters, "The Americans posed the following question: 'What if Ukraine joined NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?' This was the first time such a proposal had been presented."
This revelation follows a week marked by intense diplomatic endeavors: U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff first traveled to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then to Dublin, where a European Union summit was held, to meet with the Ukrainian leader.
Prior to these meetings, representatives from the three nations engaged in negotiations in Abu Dhabi, marking the first direct contact between Russia and Ukraine in nearly nine months, although no decisive progress was made. Moscow rejected a proposal for a partial ceasefire focusing on energy targets and reiterated demands extending well beyond the battlefield.
A Shift in Negotiation Dynamics
The U.S. proposal marks a significant shift in the public discourse surrounding the negotiations. Kyiv has consistently maintained that it will not relinquish sovereign territory, and Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized the goal of reclaiming the four provinces annexed by Russia in 2022, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, occupied since 2014.
Currently, Russia controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including most of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, which make up the Donbas. Ceding the small portions still held by Ukraine would symbolically acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the region.
Zelensky expressed a willingness to put the proposal to a referendum, but set three conditions: firm security guarantees, the freedom to maintain Ukraine's military capabilities, and sufficient resources for the country's reconstruction.
Tensions Rise Between U.S. and Ukraine
Meanwhile, Zelensky cautioned that Washington is not acting impartially. "They've also picked up on Putin's signals, and this is an extremely difficult conversation," he stated.
The Trump administration's pattern of pressuring Kyiv has become a constant: the U.S. President asked Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil facilities to facilitate diesel supply and ease fuel prices, which have surged since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February 2026.
Zelensky accused U.S. officials of limiting the Starshield service—the military version of Starlink—that Ukraine uses to coordinate defensive operations, including intercepting Russian drones.
Future Leadership and NATO Membership
The tension between the two leaders peaked when Trump declared it was "time for Ukraine to have a new president" and demanded new elections, an impossibility while the country remains under martial law. Zelensky responded that he would be willing to hold elections a few months after a peace agreement is reached and would step down as president in exchange for NATO membership.
While Washington pressures Kyiv, Moscow has not softened its demands; instead, it has expanded them.
Russia insists it will not cease hostilities until reaching a definitive agreement that includes territorial delineation, Ukrainian neutrality, and the withdrawal of NATO troops and military infrastructure from central and eastern European countries that joined the alliance after the Soviet Union's dissolution.
These same demands were rejected by the West in 2021, months before Putin declared his determination to seize the entire Donbas and launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelensky acknowledged that the U.S. proposal generated some optimism: "NATO is back on the table," he affirmed. However, the gap between Moscow's demands and what Kyiv is prepared to accept remains insurmountable for now.
Key Questions about Ukraine, NATO, and the Donbas Conflict
What did the U.S. propose to Ukraine regarding NATO membership?
The U.S. suggested that Ukraine could join NATO if it relinquished control over the Donbas region to Russia.
How has Ukraine responded to the U.S. proposal?
President Zelensky expressed openness to a referendum on the proposal, but insisted on security guarantees, military freedom, and reconstruction resources as conditions.
What are Russia's current demands in the conflict?
Russia demands a comprehensive agreement that includes territorial delineation, Ukrainian neutrality, and the withdrawal of NATO's presence in central and eastern Europe.