Zelenskyy Offers to Drop NATO Bid for US Security Guarantees Amid Donetsk Dispute and Missile Attacks

Zelenskyy told reporters on Sunday that he would be ready to abandon Ukraine’s long‑standing NATO bid if Washington and its allies could provide a legally binding set of security guarantees. The statement came after a five‑hour meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son‑in‑law.

NATO Bid and Security Guarantees

During the talks, Zelenskyy explained that the United States and several European governments had already rejected Ukraine’s push to join the alliance. “These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” he said. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”

The Ukrainian leader emphasized that any assurances would need to be backed by U.S. Congress and that they would be legally binding. He also noted that an update would come from his team after a recent meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. military officials in Stuttgart, Germany.

The U.S. government posted on Witkoff’s social‑media account that “a lot of progress was made” during the five‑hour session. Washington has been trying to balance Trump’s push for a swift end to Russia’s war with the delays that have stalled a peace settlement.

Donetsk Dispute and Russian Demands

The core obstacle to a settlement remains control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the part of Donetsk still under its control. Zelenskyy rejected this demand, saying it was unfair and unworkable.

“I do not consider this fair, because who will manage this economic zone?” he said. “If we are talking about some buffer zone along the line of contact, if we are talking about some economic zone and we believe that only a police mission should be there and troops should withdraw, then the question is very simple. If Ukrainian troops withdraw 5–10 kilometers, for example, then why do Russian troops not withdraw deeper into the occupied territories by the same distance?”

Zelenskyy described the issue as “very sensitive” and insisted on a freeze along the line of contact, stating that “today a fair possible option is we stand where we stand.”

Putin’s foreign‑affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard would stay in parts of the Donetsk region even if they became a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan. Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time and that U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been “worsened” by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.

Speaking to Russian state TV, Ushakov said that the “contribution of Ukrainians and Europeans to these documents is unlikely to be constructive,” and that Moscow would “have very strong objections.” He added that the territorial issue was actively discussed in Moscow when Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin earlier this month.

International Reactions

Before meeting with the U.S. envoys, Zelenskyy spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron. He thanked the French leader on X and added that “we are coordinating closely and working together for the sake of our shared security.” Macron replied on X that “France is, and will remain, at Ukraine’s side to build a robust and lasting peace — one that can guarantee Ukraine’s security and sovereignty, and that of Europe, over the long term.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has been spearheading European efforts to support Ukraine alongside Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said on Saturday that the decades of the “Pax Americana” were largely over for Europe and Germany. He warned that Putin’s aim is “a fundamental change to the borders in Europe, the restoration of the old Soviet Union within its borders.” Merz added that if Ukraine fell, Putin would not stop.

Russian Air Attacks

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched ballistic missiles and 138 attack drones overnight. Of those, 110 were intercepted or downed, but missile and drone hits were recorded at six locations. Zelenskyy said that hundreds of thousands of families were still without power in the south, east, and northeast, and that work was continuing to restore electricity, heat, and water after a large‑scale attack the previous night.

In the past week, Russia had launched over 1,500 strike drones, nearly 900 guided aerial bombs, and 46 missiles of various types at Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 235 Ukrainian drones late Saturday and early Sunday.

Incidents included a drone injuring a man and setting his house ablaze in the village of Yasnye Zori in the Belgorod region, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. In the Volgograd region, Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Uryupinsk, triggering a fire, per regional governor Andrei Bocharov. In the Krasnodar region, drones attacked the town of Afipsky, where an oil refinery is located; authorities reported that explosions shattered windows in residential buildings but did not report damage to the refinery.

Key Takeaways

• Zelenskyy is willing to drop Ukraine’s NATO bid if the West offers legally binding security guarantees backed by Congress.
• Russia demands Ukrainian withdrawal from the occupied part of Donetsk, a demand rejected by Kyiv as unfair and unworkable.
• Russian air attacks continue, with ballistic missiles, drones, and bombs striking multiple Ukrainian regions.

Zelenskyy’s willingness to trade the NATO membership for security guarantees signals a potential shift in Ukraine’s approach to its long‑term defense strategy. Meanwhile, the Donetsk dispute and ongoing Russian attacks remain central obstacles to a durable peace.

Closing

As Ukraine seeks a new path to security, the negotiations with U.S. envoys and the broader international community will be closely watched. The outcome of these talks could reshape the region’s security architecture and determine whether Ukraine can secure a future free from Russian aggression.