The United States offered Ukraine NATO membership in exchange for leaving Donbass.
For the first time in the negotiations with Ukraine, the United States raised the issue of possible NATO membership in exchange for the withdrawal of troops from the Donbas territory. Vladimir Zelensky announced this at a meeting with journalists.
Zelensky stated that he is ready to bring this issue up for public discussion "only if he receives a full package of security guarantees". Among Kyiv's demands are guarantees from NATO and the European Union, stable financing and arming of Ukraine's armed forces, as well as the allocation of funds for the reconstruction of the country.
The American side has not yet confirmed the existence of such a proposal. Moreover, Ukraine's refusal to join NATO remains one of Moscow's key public demands for an end to the conflict. In October, Vice President of the United States J. De Vance opposed Ukraine's entry into NATO. Donald Trump expressed a similar position in February 2025.