Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said US negotiators had asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas if it joined NATO. The question, he said, was raised during contacts following peace talks in Abu Dhabi. Washington has not confirmed a formal offer of NATO membership in exchange for territory.

A question, not a confirmed offer

Zelensky said on Friday, November 13, that this was the first time the two issues had been linked in a question during the talks. His remarks were released on Saturday. The reported exchange points to a possible trade-off under discussion, but does not establish that the United States has offered Ukraine a path into the alliance on those terms.

Kyiv is not ready to give up territory, Zelensky said. But he said he would put the question to a national referendum if Ukraine received a comprehensive package that included security guarantees, a strong, well-funded army and money for reconstruction. He said he did not have the right to make that decision alone. Zelensky has also said Ukraine is discussing concrete security guarantees with NATO and the European Union.

The conditions matter because Kyiv is seeking protection against another attack, not simply a change in its borders. Zelensky has said he does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war permanently if Ukraine withdraws from Donbas.

Donbas and Europe’s security

Russia is demanding control of the whole Donbas region, including fortified positions still held by Ukrainian forces, according to reports. Moscow also demands that Ukraine adopt a neutral status. Zelensky has rejected enshrining neutrality in the country’s constitution; Ukraine’s goal of joining NATO is written into that constitution.

The dispute over Donbas is part of a wider clash over Europe’s security. Russia has demanded that NATO forces and military infrastructure be pulled back to positions held before the alliance’s 1997 enlargement. Zelensky called Russia’s push to change the European security framework dangerous and said the war should be ended before broader changes are discussed. He has said that, in his view, security in Europe means the EU and NATO.

European representatives are expected to take part in the next round of peace talks. The agreed European team includes Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, as well as EU officials. Whether the US-raised question leads to a formal proposal, and what guarantees might accompany it, remain unclear.