Zelenskyy says US negotiators asked if Ukraine would leave Donbas for NATO membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that US negotiators had asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from its eastern Donbas region in exchange for joining NATO. His remarks were made public on Saturday, 14 November 2026, according to DW and Al Jazeera.

Zelenskyy said the question was raised in connection with the latest round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi. He said it was the first time this idea had been raised.

"The Americans raised a question: 'What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?'" DW quoted Zelenskyy as saying.

Zelenskyy restated that Ukraine would not cede territory or withdraw its troops. But he said the issue could be put to a referendum if Kyiv secured a comprehensive deal. He said such a deal would include security guarantees, funding for Ukraine's armed forces and money for reconstruction.

"That is why I believe NATO is back on the agenda. But you have also heard [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's signals, and this is an extremely difficult conversation," DW quoted him as saying.

Zelenskyy called Moscow's push to change or review Europe's security architecture dangerous. "Real security in Europe means the EU and NATO. That's it. There is no other security in Europe," he said, according to DW.

European representatives are expected to join future rounds of talks. According to DW, the EU said on Friday that several European diplomats would take part, including from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland.

According to Al Jazeera, Zelenskyy spoke on Friday under an embargo that lifted on Saturday. Al Jazeera reported that he said no concrete offer existed. It also reported that he would not amend Ukraine's constitution to make the country neutral, arguing this would not guarantee lasting security. US-mediated direct talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed this past week, with little apparent progress apart from renewed prisoner exchanges, according to Al Jazeera.

What each side says

• Kyiv: Ukraine will not give up territory. According to DW, Kyiv says Russia's winter campaign aims to hurt public morale. DW reported that Zelenskyy warned Putin was "betting everything" on this winter's campaign.
• Moscow: According to Al Jazeera, Moscow says Ukraine must withdraw from the parts of Donbas that Kyiv still controls, and opposes Ukraine joining NATO. According to DW, Moscow says European states should be excluded from the talks because they support Ukraine.
• Battlefield claims: The Russian Defence Ministry said Russian forces captured the settlement of Tersianka in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to Interfax as reported by DW. Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday killed a couple and their 24-month-old daughter in Proletarsky, Belgorod region, according to Al Jazeera. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 96 drones from Friday evening, of which 81 were shot down or electronically suppressed. The reports do not include independent verification of these figures.

What the reports do not include

The reports do not include any US response confirming or denying the question. They do not name the US envoys involved. They do not say whether the question concerned all of Donbas or only the parts Ukraine controls. They do not describe how a referendum would be organised.

Analysis

Zelenskyy's account, if accurate, would suggest that NATO membership has re-entered discussion as a possible element of a settlement. However, both reports rest on his own description, and the reports reviewed by Vocemundi contain no US confirmation. The referendum idea could give Kyiv a way to put any territorial question to voters rather than decide it alone. It also sets conditions — security guarantees, military funding, reconstruction money — that may be hard to secure. Moscow's stated opposition to Ukrainian NATO membership points to a wide gap between the parties. Whether European participation narrows or widens that gap remains an open question.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.