Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says U.S. negotiators raised a question about whether Ukraine would withdraw from the parts of Donbas it still controls if it joined NATO. He described it as a question in ongoing talks, not a finalized agreement, and said details were still missing.

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What Zelenskyy says U.S. negotiators asked

Zelenskyy made the remarks to reporters on Friday, Nov. 13, and his office released them the next day. He said the American side asked whether Ukraine would leave Donbas if it joined NATO. Reuters and the Associated Press reported the comments as the first time the question of linking NATO membership to a Ukrainian territorial withdrawal had been raised in the talks.

The account comes from Zelenskyy’s description of the exchange. The reports do not cite a public U.S. confirmation of a formal offer. Zelenskyy said specifics were not yet available and the issue remained under discussion. He has also said Ukraine would not recognize occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian.

Zelenskyy says any terms would go to the Ukrainian public

Zelenskyy said he could not decide such a question on his own. If the United States and other NATO partners confirmed a concrete package, he said he would explain the terms to Ukrainians and seek public input, including through a possible referendum.

He described a broader security package as potentially including guarantees from NATO and the European Union, support for Ukraine’s armed forces and funding for recovery. Those elements are part of Kyiv’s stated requirements for a durable settlement; Zelenskyy did not say they had been agreed.

The question follows another round of peace talks

The comments followed U.S.-brokered Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10 and 11. They ended without a major breakthrough, although the sides agreed to prepare a large prisoner exchange, Reuters reported. The Donbas question adds a new territorial and alliance issue to discussions that have already included security guarantees and a role for European governments.

The Globuzz has previously reported on security guarantees discussed in the Abu Dhabi peace talks and Europe’s proposed role in future Ukraine negotiations.

Sources

Reuters: Zelenskyy says U.S. raised Donbas withdrawal in exchange for NATO membership; Associated Press: Zelenskyy says the U.S. raised Donbas withdrawal; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Zelenskyy says details remain unavailable; Hromadske: report on Zelenskyy’s remarks to reporters.