Zelenskyy says US floated Donbas-for-NATO swap as Kushner says Europe joins talks

The Ukrainian president says the US has suggested that Kyiv cede the eastern Donbas region to Russia in exchange for joining NATO. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the issue was raised by US negotiators during the latest round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi. He says the option may be put to a referendum if Ukraine receives security guarantees and funds to rebuild. Kyiv has long sought membership of the security alliance, but Russia views NATO’s expansion as a threat. Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna says US negotiator Jared Kushner has stated publicly that Russia has accepted European participation in future talks, which could be important. Hanna describes this as a subtle shift in the Trump administration’s position, confirming something Russia has resisted for a long time. Kushner, following talks with the Russian president, says efforts are underway to hold another round of multilateral negotiations, building on what he calls substantial progress. Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna reports from Washington, DC. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://x.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #Ukraine #Russia #Zelenskyy #NATO #Donbas #AlJazeeraEnglish