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Ukraine tells U.S. delegation it cannot withdraw from Donbas or abandon NATO bid

01 December 2025 11:18 (UTC +04:00)

During a meeting in Florida with a U.S. delegation, the Ukrainian side called it impossible to withdraw from Donbas or to abandon NATO membership, APA reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.

According to the report, the main disputes centered specifically around territorial issues and Ukraine’s potential NATO membership.

The Kyiv side stated that Russia’s demand for a full withdrawal from Donbas is unacceptable for Ukraine, as both constitutional limitations, public opinion, and the actual situation on the frontline make this impossible.

Ukraine’s position remains unchanged: any discussion regarding territorial issues must begin not with Russia's ultimatum-like conditions, but from the existing line of contact.

The Ukrainian delegation also emphasized that the course toward NATO membership is enshrined in the Constitution, and changing this provision for the sake of any agreement would create a dangerous precedent. Kyiv also stated that Russia obtaining any veto rights over Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance is absolutely impossible.

According to the source, while the U.S. side showed readiness to listen to Kyiv’s arguments, it also reminded them of the difficulty of negotiations with Russia: “You may be 100% right, but there is also the other side… If they say ‘no,’ what can we do?”