US floats NATO membership in exchange for Donbas, says Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian President said NATO membership remained an important security guarantee because it would involve collective responsibility among the alliance’s members.
Published: Nov 14, 2026, 17:43 IST
| Updated: Nov 14, 2026, 17:49 IST
The Ukrainian President said NATO membership remained an important security guarantee because it would involve collective responsibility among the alliance’s members.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that US negotiators have, for the first time, raised the possibility of Ukraine withdrawing from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for membership of NATO, revealing a potentially significant shift in Washington’s approach to ending the war with Russia.
The question was raised during recent diplomatic discussions, Zelenskyy told journalists on Friday.
He said Ukraine was examining a wider security package with its Western partners but stressed that Kyiv would not surrender its territory or recognise areas occupied by Russia as Russian.
“The Americans asked, ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that if the United States and other NATO members confirmed such an arrangement, he would seek the Ukrainian public’s opinion before taking a decision.
“I have no right to make that decision on my own,” he said.
What would the proposed security package include?
Zelenskyy said discussions with Western partners were centred on a comprehensive package that would offer Ukraine security guarantees from NATO and the European Union, alongside support for its armed forces.
The proposed arrangements would include maintaining a strong Ukrainian military, with an adequate number of troops, weapons and financial assistance for a specified period.
A recovery plan, backed by funds from clearly identified sources, would also form part of the package.
The Ukrainian President said NATO membership remained an important security guarantee because it would involve collective responsibility among the alliance’s members.
Kyiv has previously sought guarantees modelled on Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which provides for collective defence in the event of an armed attack on a member.
Zelenskyy also said Washington was discussing arrangements resembling NATO’s Articles 4 and 5.
However, he questioned how effective such guarantees would be without a direct American military presence in Ukraine.
He also insisted that any agreement would have to be clearly defined and that occupied Ukrainian territory could not be recognised as Russian.
Abu Dhabi talks make progress, but territorial dispute remains
The latest proposal comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts led by the United States, including two days of trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
The discussions ended without a breakthrough on the central territorial and security questions.
However, Moscow and Kyiv reached an understanding on a large-scale prisoner exchange, with officials describing the humanitarian progress as one of the positive outcomes of the negotiations.
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said the sides had discussed humanitarian issues and reached understandings on certain matters. He added that negotiations would continue, while describing Europe’s future security arrangements as a central subject of discussion.
Jared Kushner, part of the US negotiating team, said the prisoner exchange was among the positive outcomes of the talks.
He and US special envoy Steve Witkoff subsequently travelled to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The US envoys later met Zelenskyy in Ireland, where the Ukrainian leader said the discussions had produced three key outcomes: preparations for what could become the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war, greater European involvement in the negotiations and plans for further multilateral meetings.
Zelenskyy said diplomacy would remain active, while Witkoff described the Moscow discussions as progress towards restarting trilateral negotiations.
Europe seeks a place at the negotiating table
European leaders have also moved to establish a coordinated role in the peace process. European Council President António Costa announced that France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, along with EU institutions, would represent Europe in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the arrangement, saying a strong European presence was necessary to protect both Ukraine’s interests and the continent’s security.
She said the objective was to secure a lasting peace, backed by security guarantees and a plan for Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
Von der Leyen also announced plans for a 22nd sanctions package against Russia and a proposal to address Ukraine’s financing gap for 2027.
The move followed Zelenskyy’s calls for European representatives to have an equal place in the diplomatic process. He has argued that decisions concerning Ukraine’s future security cannot be separated from the wider security of Europe.
Putin rules out foreign troops in Ukraine
Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, significant differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv.
During his meeting with Witkoff and Kushner at the Kremlin, Putin reiterated Russia’s opposition to foreign military personnel being deployed in Ukraine after a potential peace agreement.
“The presence of any foreign troops on Ukrainian territory is absolutely unacceptable to us,” Putin said.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also questioned the prospect of European representatives joining the negotiations, accusing European countries of seeking to prolong the conflict.
He said Moscow remained open to considering concrete proposals from Europe.
The territorial question remains one of the biggest obstacles to an agreement.
While Washington’s reported suggestion has brought NATO membership back into the discussion, Zelenskyy has made clear that any decision would require public consideration and firm security commitments.
(with agencies input)
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