Ukraine-Russia conflict: US negotiators are apparently bringing Ukraine's accession to NATO into play

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, US negotiators may consider offering Ukraine NATO membership in exchange for the country ceding territory in the east of the country.

Zelensky said that after the latest round of peace talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi, US negotiators raised the question of whether Ukraine would be willing to withdraw from the Donbass region in the east of the country in return for joining NATO.

»The Americans raised the question: 'What if Ukraine joined NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?'” This was the first time this question had been raised, Zelensky said in a statement released by his office on Saturday. »That's why I believe that NATO is back on the agenda. But you have also heard the signals from Vladimir Putin, and this is an extremely difficult conversation.”

In these weeks, the USA is making another attempt to achieve a breakthrough in the Ukraine conflict. Among other things, the Europeans should have a place in the negotiations. US President Donald Trump's emissaries have repeatedly brought up scenarios that envisage a withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from areas claimed by Russia.

Why Ukraine wants to join NATO and Putin is against it

Ukraine has rejected such simulations as unacceptable. On the one hand, this concerns Ukrainian territory. There are also numerous heavily fortified Ukrainian military positions in the region. Their loss would greatly weaken Kyiv's defensive position in the event of a renewed Russian offensive. In addition, experts repeatedly point out that Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine is not about conquering territory, but rather about influence and control over the entire Ukraine. Putin recently spoke again about the fact that Ukrainians and Russians are actually one and the same people. Moscow has repeatedly emphasized its right to decide on the fate of its neighboring state.

Long-term peace is therefore only possible if Ukraine receives extensive security guarantees from the West - or Russia is deterred from further attacks in some other way. Ukraine has therefore long wanted to join NATO. The alliance and also the current US government recently rejected this. The Kremlin has also made it clear in the past that it will neither accept Ukraine's membership in the alliance nor the stationing of Western troops in the country.