Zelensky, 'USA proposes NATO membership in exchange for cession of Ukrainian territories'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States would offer him the cession of Ukrainian territories in exchange for NATO membership. Zelensky himself said this while speaking to journalists in Kiev, according to France Presse. Ukrinform adds that Zelensky said that if the partners offer to withdraw from Donbass in exchange for concrete security guarantees, which include, in particular, Ukraine's membership in NATO and the EU, he will address the issue in front of public opinion.

“I have repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not surrender and will not cede its territories to terrorists,” Zelensky said, according to Ukrinform. “The Americans asked me: 'And if Ukraine joined NATO, would it withdraw from Donbass?' This was the first time. We are discussing with our partners a comprehensive security package that they can offer us during the negotiations: specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU, a Ukrainian army strong, and this means an adequate number of soldiers, armaments, financial support for a certain period of time, and the Prosperity Plan, that is, a recovery plan supported by funds with clear sources. If the American side confirms this to us together with other NATO colleagues, then I will ask the opinion of our society: do we accept it or not?

At the same time, the president reiterated that he would not recognize the temporarily occupied territories as Russian.

"Of course, without any recognition of the occupied territories by Russia. Yesterday I said to the American counterpart: 'When Putin talks about state borders, it is certainly not a reduction of Russian territory, right? That's why there is no trust in the comrade in the Kremlin'. And the way he behaves and what he says does nothing but complicate the entire American mediation and postpone the end of the war", underlined the head of state.