U.S. negotiators have for the first time raised the possibility of Ukrainian forces withdrawing from the Kyiv-controlled part of the Donbas in exchange for Ukraine joining NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The issue was discussed after a new round of talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi. According to Zelenskyy, Washington framed the question this way: Would Kyiv agree to leave the Donbas if Ukraine received membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?
The Ukrainian president said Kyiv was not prepared to give up its territory. He also noted that Russia continues to regard Ukraine’s accession to NATO as unacceptable, meaning any such arrangement would require complex negotiations.
Decision Could Go to a Referendum
Zelenskyy said a comprehensive proposal could be presented to Ukrainian citizens. He said any package would have to include genuine security guarantees, the right to retain a strong and well-equipped military, and funding for postwar reconstruction.
Any agreement, he added, must not amount to legal recognition of the occupied territories as Russian. Kyiv also does not agree to enshrine a neutral status for the country.
Dispute Over Security Across Europe
Another point of disagreement was a proposal to discuss a new European security architecture at the same time as efforts to end the war. Zelenskyy warned that such an approach could allow Moscow to seek a weaker NATO and revisions to current borders and military deployments across the continent.
Ukraine is calling for a different sequence: a ceasefire, an end to the war, security guarantees for Kyiv and only then a broader discussion about European security.
The sides also agreed in principle to a large prisoner exchange following their contacts. Zelenskyy estimated that it could involve 1,200 to 1,300 people from each side, although the final number is still being determined. He said there had been no progress so far on an energy ceasefire.
Source: Vesti Baku