U.S. negotiators floated the idea of Ukraine withdrawing from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
American officials brought up the question of withdrawal after the latest round of peace talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi, which ended on Wednesday (11 November), he said.
“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelenskyy said in a statement released by his office on Saturday.
He reiterated that Kyiv was not willing to retreat from its territory. However, he added that if Ukraine received a comprehensive security package, including security guarantees, a strong and well-funded army and money to rebuild, he would put the question to a referendum.
The destroyed dormitory building of the Starobilsk College of Luhansk Pedagogical University in the Luhansk region, a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine, 24 May 2026.
The Donbas is made up of Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and at least 70 per cent of Donetsk. Moscow has previously insisted any deal must give it control of the entire Donbas.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that only Ukrainians can decide on territorial concessions. In December 2025, he said any such scheme would need elections or a referendum to ratify it.
Washington previously suggested Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donbas and a “free economic zone” be created in the parts Kyiv holds. Zelenskyy rejected that as unworkable. The Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine renounce its bid for NATO membership as part of any settlement.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday its forces had captured the settlement of Tersianka in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
The Ministry also said Russian forces had struck Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure used by the military, ammunition depots, and drone production and storage sites.
In a separate post on X, Zelenskyy said he had returned from visits to Denmark and Ireland with “concrete results,” including a new €645 million ($715 million) defence package and a €20 million ($22 million) energy package from Denmark, as well as new UK sanctions targeting Russia’s oil sector.
“We spoke with all our European partners about how to help Ukraine get through this winter,” Zelenskyy said, adding that discussions covered air defence and support for the energy sector and railways.
He said Kyiv was working with the European Union to close the remaining two negotiation clusters by the end of the year.
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