EL7.AI
GeopoliticsMedium•14 November 2026•
4 min read

Zelensky: Washington Asked for First Time About Ukraine Leaving Donbas in Exchange for NATO

Key Facts

1U.S. negotiators raised a hypothetical question for the first time about Ukraine withdrawing from Donbas if it joined NATO.
2Zelensky estimated that a prisoner exchange could involve 1,200 to 1,300 prisoners from each side.
3The Abu Dhabi talks lasted two days and ended without a major breakthrough on ending the war, with an agreement in principle on a prisoner exchange.
4Zelensky said the details of the security guarantees were still unavailable and the entire issue remained under discussion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said U.S. negotiators raised a hypothetical question for the first time about whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas if it joined NATO, following the latest round of talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi. Reuters quoted Zelensky as saying the question was: "What if Ukraine joined NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?" Zelensky did not describe it as an agreement or a completed proposal, but as a question raised by the U.S. side during the discussion. He said Kyiv was not ready to cede territory. He added that he would seek Ukrainians’ views in a referendum if the country received a comprehensive package of security guarantees, support and reconstruction.

Zelensky linked putting the issue to voters to the availability of a package that included security guarantees, Ukraine’s right to maintain a strong, well-funded military, and money to rebuild the country. He told Reuters the package should be "comprehensive, including security guarantees and the right to a strong, well-funded Ukrainian army and money for reconstruction." He did not specify whether the U.S. question concerning Donbas would become a formal negotiating proposal. Zelensky stressed that the details of the required guarantees had yet to be clarified and that the issue remained under discussion. Ukrainska Pravda quoted him as saying: "We need specific details, and they do not exist yet; all of this is under discussion."

Zelensky said any arrangement would not involve recognizing occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian, according to the Associated Press. That position constrains any discussion of arrangements involving territory, while he said Kyiv was not ready to cede it. The statements offered no assurance that NATO membership would be part of any settlement or that the proposed security package had been finalized. Zelensky said the guarantees under discussion could include specific guarantees from NATO and the European Union, alongside a Ukrainian military force, financial support for a specified period and a recovery plan. The terms and details of those guarantees remain under discussion among the parties.

The U.S. question came after two days of U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11. The round ended without a major breakthrough on ending the war, while the two sides agreed in principle to a large prisoner exchange, according to Reuters. Zelensky later estimated that the exchange could involve 1,200 to 1,300 prisoners from each side, according to the Associated Press, noting that the exact number was still being determined. The round was the first direct talks between representatives of the two countries in 9 months, according to the Associated Press. The parties also announced their intention to hold another round with European participation.

Zelensky said Kyiv’s priorities in Abu Dhabi included reaching an energy truce, reopening the Black Sea, releasing prisoners and preparing for a leaders’ meeting to end the war. But the Russian delegation said it did not have a mandate to decide on an energy truce, according to Zelensky’s remarks to the Associated Press. He said Moscow was not ready to accept one at the current stage of the talks. On the sequence of steps, he said what was needed was "a ceasefire, an end to the war in Ukraine, and security guarantees for Ukraine." Zelensky linked this to a path that would begin with ending the fighting, followed by addressing the security guarantees the country requires.

Zelensky warned that Russia wanted to discuss a broader European security framework before focusing on ending the war, and said changes to borders or security arrangements could lead to escalation. He stressed that Europe must participate directly in the next negotiations, noting that Britain, France, Germany and Italy attended the Abu Dhabi meetings. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said the parties had agreed to hold the next round and that Europeans would join it, according to the Associated Press. Before the Abu Dhabi talks, Zelensky had said Europe should take part in a discussion of its affairs, and that Kyiv had conveyed to Washington its proposals on the potential realistic outcomes of the meeting. The announcement of the next round did not specify a date.

Ukraine’s path to NATO membership remains a point of divergence between political support and the alliance’s decision-making requirements. NATO says allies support Ukraine’s path toward membership, but an invitation requires agreement among the allies and fulfillment of the conditions. Secretary-General Mark Rutte said at a press conference with Zelensky in June 2026 that there was currently no consensus on full membership. He also said NATO support for Ukraine would continue if a ceasefire or peace agreement were reached, and that security arrangements for the country would be needed to achieve lasting peace. The proposed package of guarantees and its details remain unresolved, as attention turns to the next round of talks and European participation in it.