Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has asked, for the first time, whether Ukraine would withdraw from parts of the Donbas region if Kyiv were admitted to NATO. The request marks a direct link between territorial concessions and membership in the alliance, a question that has long hovered over efforts to end the war.

Zelensky said that any comprehensive package of agreements touching on such terms may be put to a national referendum, meaning the decision would not rest with the government alone. He framed the matter as one that would require the consent of Ukrainians themselves.S1