Zelenskyy warns US security proposal could benefit Russia.
Washington raises Donbas withdrawal in exchange for NATO membership.
Ukraine rejects neutrality and seeks wider security guarantees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that a US proposal for a new European security arrangement could serve Russia’s interests, giving Moscow an opportunity to undermine NATO and redraw borders across the continent.
Zelenskyy cautioned against making the proposal the focus of negotiations, calling it potentially dangerous. “In my view, this can be dangerous,” he told reporters on Friday. “This should not be the main agenda.” The comments were made public on Saturday.
He also disclosed that Washington had, for the first time, asked whether Kyiv would be willing to pull its forces out of the parts of Donbas in eastern Ukraine that remain under Ukrainian control if it were allowed to join NATO, according to AP.
Zelenskyy said Russia was looking beyond a settlement to the Ukraine war and wanted to reopen wider discussions on Europe's security arrangements.
He further added, “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s desire to change borders in Europe is a fact. I am sure this is part of his concept of revising security guarantees in Europe,” he said. “This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations.”
Zelenskyy Rejects Neutrality
Zelenskyy made clear that any peace arrangement would not mean Ukraine accepting Russian control over occupied territories. He also ruled out a commitment to neutrality, saying such a move would require changes to the Ukrainian constitution.
“If Putin expects Ukraine’s neutrality to be enshrined, that’s not going to happen,” he said. “We’re not in NATO right now anyway.”
Instead, Kyiv is working with its partners on a broader security package. Zelenskyy said this could include firm guarantees from NATO and the European Union, a strong Ukrainian military, financial assistance for a fixed period, and a plan to rebuild the country.
European leaders have insisted that the continent must decide its own security future, rejecting any arrangement that gives Moscow a say in shaping Europe's security framework or determining NATO's future.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv had pushed for several measures during the Abu Dhabi talks, including a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, restoring movement through the Black Sea, exchanging prisoners and arranging a leaders' meeting aimed at ending the war.
