US proposed Donbas swap for NATO membership - Zelensky

Detailed summary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the United States proposed Ukraine cede land to Russia in exchange for joining NATO and that his government was in talks on…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the United States proposed Ukraine cede land to Russia in exchange for joining NATO and that his government was in talks on "specific" security guarantees from the west.

"The Americans raised a question: 'What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?' This was the first time this had been raised," Mr Zelensky told reporters.

Mr Zelensky said the EU and NATO are Europe's only "real security", warning the Kremlin's bid to change the continent's security architecture could lead to more wars.

"This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations," Mr Zelensky said.

"Real security in Europe means the EU and NATO. That's it. There is no other security in Europe."

Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky said Russia is "betting everything" on this winter's war campaign as he called for a US military package that would pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the fighting.

"They are betting everything on this winter," Mr Zelensky said. He said the US Congress adopting "sanctions and weapons" legislation would be "the kind of motivation Putin needs" to de-escalate.

Mr Zelensky's comments come as EU leaders agreed that Europe would be represented by the E5 - Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland - and the bloc's institutions at the next Ukraine peace talks.

Peace talks have so far only involved Russian, Ukrainian and US officials, who met in Abu Dhabi this week for the first time in nine months.

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