US asked Kyiv whether it would give up Donbas for NATO membership, Zelensky says

In brief

• The US asked Ukraine whether it would give up Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, according to Zelensky.
• Zelensky said Ukraine would consider this only with strong security guarantees and would put it to a referendum.
• Russia continues to demand Ukraine hand over Donbas and that NATO return to 1997 positions.
• German Chancellor Merz asked Trump for no surprises before his expected call with Putin.

US question on Donbas and NATO

Zelensky said the American side asked during the current round of talks whether Ukraine would leave Donbas if it joined NATO, describing it as the first time such a question had been put to Kyiv in this form. (USA zjišťovaly, zda by se Ukrajina vzdala Donbasu za členství v NATO, uvedl Zelenskyj – Aktuálně.cz) (Zelenskyj: USA zisťovali, či by sa Kyjev vzdal Donbasu v prospech Ruska výmenou za členstvo v NATO – STVR) (Vzdala by sa Ukrajina Donbasu za členstvo v NATO? Zelenskyj povedal USA, čo by urobil – HNonline.sk) He said Ukraine would consider the question only with firm guarantees in place, and would then ask its own society whether to accept such a deal.

Ukraine's security package

Zelensky said Kyiv is negotiating with partners on a broad security package. It would include concrete guarantees from NATO and the European Union, a strong Ukrainian army of defined size, continued weapons supplies, time-limited financial support and a reconstruction plan backed by clearly identified funding. He said Ukraine still lacks the concrete proposals it needs and that everything remains under negotiation.

Russia's demands and European reaction

Handing over eastern Donbas, including the part Russia does not control, is among Moscow's main conditions for ending the war. Zelensky said Russian-occupied territories will not be recognised as Russian. According to The New York Times, Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi presented a document demanding that NATO pull its forces back to positions held in 1997. (ONLINE: Rusko stále požaduje, aby se NATO stáhlo na pozice z roku 1997. Vyplynulo to z jednání v Abú Zabí – iROZHLAS) Zelensky said the US side often raises Donbas and told envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that the territory is part of Ukraine. (Putin mal štyri plány, ako ovládnuť Ukrajinu. Zostávajú mu už len dva – HNonline.sk)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged US President Donald Trump not to spring surprises on Europe before his expected call with Vladimir Putin next week, speaking on the sidelines of an informal EU leaders' summit in Dublin. (Merz vyzval Trumpa, aby při hovoru s Putinem nepřekvapil Evropu – Aktuálně.cz) Merz, according to Novinky.cz, said he saw no reason to negotiate with Russia about Europe without European participation. (Jen žádná překvapení, žádá Merz Trumpa před jednáním s Putinem – Novinky.cz) (Prosím, žádná překvapení, žádá Trumpa Merz. Nevidí důvod jednat s Rusy o Evropě – iDNES.cz)

Read also

• Talks in Abu Dhabi resume as Europe presses for a say in Ukraine settlement