U.S. reportedly floated trading Ukrainian land for NATO membership

U.S. officials reportedly proposed trading a portion of Ukrainian territory for the country's NATO membership, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy revealed on Friday that he had been asked for the first time by U.S. negotiators to consider ceding parts of the eastern Donbas region in exchange for joining the military alliance.

This suggestion marked the first time it had been raised during discussions. The American side proposed Ukraine withdrawing from Donbas as part of a security package that would include NATO and EU security guarantees, additional troops, weapons, and financial assistance. Zelenskyy mentioned that he would consult with Ukrainians on the matter, stressing that he lacked the authority to make such a decision independently.

The Donbas region, currently under Russian occupation, has been a persistent obstacle in peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously demanded Ukraine's withdrawal from the region as a prerequisite for a peace agreement. After holding sham elections in the occupied areas, Putin declared the annexation of four eastern Ukrainian regions in September 2022, a move not acknowledged by the U.S., UN, or most countries, who view it as illegal land grabs.

Zelenskyy told the U.S. negotiators that Ukraine would require NATO-style security guarantees as the bare minimum for potential membership. He acknowledged that he was uncertain if NATO Article 5, which stipulates that an attack on one member is an attack on all, would be sufficient and called for more detailed information on the membership process.