Zelensky says US floated NATO membership for Ukraine in exchange for leaving Donbas

A question raised for the first time

On Friday, 13 November, Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in his office in Kyiv that US peace envoys had asked whether Ukraine would be willing to hand the Donbas region in the east to Russia in exchange for NATO membership. He said the question had come up for the first time. The proposal reportedly surfaced after the latest round of peace talks with Russia, held in Abu Dhabi. Zelensky repeated that Kyiv does not intend to withdraw from Ukrainian territory, and he described the request as a possible shift in Washington's negotiating tactics.

What a deal would include

Zelensky described the package that Ukraine is discussing with its partners as having three parts: concrete security guarantees from NATO and the European Union, a strong Ukrainian army with an adequate number of troops, weapons and financial support for a set period, and a reconstruction plan financed from clearly identified sources. Reports carrying his remarks said Ukraine would pull back from Donbas only if partners offered concrete guarantees that include NATO and EU membership. One report noted that no concrete proposal had yet been put forward. Zelensky said that if the American side confirmed these terms together with NATO partners, he would ask Ukrainians whether they accept them. He added that he has no right to make that decision alone, and another report described the step as a referendum.

Talks and Moscow's signals

Zelensky said NATO membership had returned to the agenda of the negotiations. He pointed to signals sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin and described the discussion as extremely difficult. His remarks were published by his office on Saturday, 14 November. The account offered no timetable for when Kyiv would take a decision on the proposal.

Overnight drone attack

Russia launched 96 attack drones against Ukraine in the night before 14 November, 61 of them jet-propelled, according to Rbc Ukraine citing Ukraine's air force. Air defence forces downed or neutralised 81 of them, including 52 jet-propelled Shahed drones. The attack also used Gerbera aircraft and Parodiya decoy drones. Launches came from the Russian regions of Bryansk, Orel and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as occupied Donetsk, Hvardiiske and Crimea. Aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, drone units and mobile fire groups were all deployed against the attack. Preliminary data released at 7:30 local time recorded aerial weapon impacts at eight locations, while debris from intercepted aircraft fell at two other sites.

Drones launched96

Of which jet-propelled61

Downed or neutralised81

Of which jet-propelled Shahed52

Drones launched

96 drones

Of which jet-propelled

61 drones

Downed or neutralised

81 drones

Of which jet-propelled Shahed

52 drones

Data from the article text