Zelenskyy Open to Referendum on NATO Membership Deal as Peace Talks Continue

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said American peace envoys asked whether Kyiv would be prepared to pull out of the eastern Donbas region if Ukraine were granted NATO membership, according to comments to reporters published on Saturday.

The suggestion surfaced after the most recent round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine, which is approaching its fifth year.

"The Americans raised a question: 'What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?'" Zelenskyy told journalists.

The Ukrainian leader restated Kyiv's longstanding refusal to hand territory over to Russia. However, he said that if a comprehensive settlement were reached, one covering security guarantees, a strong and properly financed Ukrainian army and funding for reconstruction, he would submit the question to voters in a referendum.

"That is why I believe NATO is back on the agenda. But you have also heard [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's signals, and this is an extremely difficult conversation," Zelenskyy said, noting that the idea of trading a Donbas withdrawal for alliance membership had never been put forward before.

Zelenskyy also cautioned against Moscow's ambition to reshape the continent's security order, warning it could trigger further conflict. Putin has called for NATO to withdraw its forces from positions near Russia's border, a demand European Union leaders have sharply condemned.

"This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations," Zelenskyy said. "Real security in Europe means the EU and NATO. That's it. There is no other security in Europe."

Meanwhile, the European Union said on Friday that diplomats from several European countries, among them Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland, would join future rounds of the Ukraine peace talks. Moscow has repeatedly argued that European governments should be shut out of the negotiations because of their support for Kyiv.

The diplomatic developments came as Russia's Defence Ministry announced its troops had taken control of the settlement of Tersianka in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, the Interfax news agency reported. The ministry also said Russian forces had hit Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure used by the military, as well as ammunition depots and drone production and storage facilities.

Russia has pounded power stations across Ukraine with waves of ballistic and cruise missiles, leaving millions without electricity and heating as temperatures fall. Zelenskyy warned that Putin was "betting everything" on this winter's military campaign, which Kyiv says is designed to break public morale.