Volodymyr Zelensky says Americans asked "will Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?" for NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said American officials asked whether Kyiv would pull its forces out of the eastern Donbas area as a condition for joining the NATO alliance, marking the initial occurrence of that issue in talks. He added that no concrete proposal has been offered and that any arrangement would not entail recognizing Russian control of occupied lands, nor would it require Ukraine to adopt a neutral status that would demand constitutional amendment. The question arose during a recent three‑way meeting of U.S., Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi and reflects a broader U.S. shift away from former President Donald Trump’s opposition to NATO membership for Ukraine. Zelensky said any agreement would have to be presented to the Ukrainian public.