FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Ireland, November 12, 2026. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton/File Photo

US floated idea of Ukraine ceding Donbas for NATO membership, Zelenskiy says

· Yahoo News
Delegates including US officials, led by United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, members of the Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and members of the Ukrainian delegation, led by head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service Rustem Umerov, attend the UAE-hosted trilateral talks between the United States, Russian and Ukrainian delegations, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 10, 2026. The talks, convened by the US, are focused on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, post-war security arrangements and de-escalation. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
Head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service Rustem Umerov, David Arakhamia, head of Ukranian parliament's majority faction, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, Sergiy Kyslytsya, first deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and Vadym Skybytskyi, deputy head of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, attend the UAE-hosted trilateral talks between the United States, Russian and Ukrainian delegations, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 10, 2026. The talks, convened by the US, are focused on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, post-war security arrangements and de-escalation. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana

FILE PHOTO: European Political Community summit in Dublin

1 of 3
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Ireland, November 12, 2026. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton/File Photo

By Olena Harmash

KYIV, Nov 14 (Reuters) - US negotiators have floated the idea of Ukraine's potential withdrawal from its eastern region of Donbas in exchange for joining NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, following the latest round of peace talks with Russia in Abu ‌Dhabi.

This is the first time the question of linking NATO membership to territorial concessions has been raised during the talks, Zelenskiy ‌said in remarks to reporters released by his office on Saturday.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

"The Americans raised a question: 'What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?" he said.

"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."

Putin has long said Ukrainian membership of NATO is a red line for Moscow, citing the issue as one reason for launching Russia's full-blown invasion in 2022.

Zelenskiy reiterated his position that Kyiv was not ready to concede territory but said that if it received a comprehensive package including security guarantees, the right to a strong and well-funded Ukrainian ‌army and funds to rebuild, he would put the ⁠question to a national referendum.

Advertisement
Advertisement

'THIS WAR MUST BE ENDED FIRST'

Echoing comments made by European leaders at a summit in Dublin on Friday, Zelenskiy dismissed Russia's call for a broad agreement on European security architecture to be reached before the ⁠specifics are agreed on how to end the war in Ukraine.

"We cannot turn everything upside down and start by talking about changing the security framework in the world or across the continent overall, and only then talk about ending this war. This war must be ended first," he said.

Zelenskiy also dismissed Putin's suggestion for ​a ​local humanitarian ceasefire in Kostiantynivka, a hotly contested city in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, ​saying it reflected Moscow's inability to take the city by ‌force. Civilians there have already had the opportunity to evacuate, he added.

Advertisement
Advertisement

"Putin simply wants us to leave Kostiantynivka so that they can move in and occupy the entire city that way," he said.

Ukraine has given a list of seven or eight other frontline settlements where civilians, including children, are trapped for a potential humanitarian truce but Russia prefers to use them as military targets, Zelenskiy said.

Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians in the war.

LARGE PRISONER EXCHANGE AGREED

The two days of US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia concluded on Wednesday in the Emirati capital without a major breakthrough, though the sides agreed ‌to a prisoner exchange that will involve more than 1,000 people, Zelenskiy said.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The final ​numbers for the prisoner swap were still under discussion, he added.

US peace envoys Steve Witkoff ​and Jared Kushner had pledged to raise an energy ceasefire with ​Putin at a meeting in Moscow on Thursday, Zelenskiy said, but there was no news of any progress after ‌their talks.

"Putin personally does not support a ceasefire," he said.

Zelenskiy ​met Witkoff and Kushner on Thursday in ​Ireland after their talks in Moscow. He said the US negotiators had told him that all sides had agreed for Europe to have a seat at the negotiating table in forthcoming peace talks.

In Abu Dhabi, delegates from Europe — which is now Ukraine's largest financial and ​military backer — had talks with US and Ukrainian officials ‌but did not sit at the table with Russia.

Advertisement
Advertisement

At the summit in Ireland, EU leaders agreed that Europe's team for any ​Ukraine peace talks would comprise five major military powers — non-EU member Britain plus France, Germany, Italy and Poland — as well as ​EU officials.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Gareth Jones)