Zelensky Says US Raised Donbas Withdrawal for NATO Membership as Ukraine Launches Record Drone Attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that American negotiators raised the possibility of Ukraine withdrawing its forces from the Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership, in the most sensitive disclosure yet from the latest round of US-brokered peace talks with Russia. The United States has not publicly confirmed his account, and no formal proposal has been published. Read the full story on the Ukraine Donbas NATO proposal on Watan News.

FAKTA

• Zelensky said on 13 November, in remarks released by his office on 14 November, that US negotiators asked: “What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?”
• The United States has not confirmed the account, and no written proposal or text has been made public.
• The latest US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on 10–11 November ended without a breakthrough, though the two sides agreed a prisoner exchange involving more than 1,000 people.
• Zelensky said Kyiv would not concede territory, but would put a comprehensive package to a national referendum if one were agreed.
• Overnight on 12–13 November, Russia said its air defences downed 1,198 Ukrainian long-range drones, in one of the biggest aerial attacks of the war.

What the Ukraine Donbas NATO Proposal Would Mean

The Donbas is the name for the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine. Russia controls most of Luhansk and substantial parts of Donetsk, while Ukrainian forces still hold about a fifth of Donetsk, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The question Zelensky says was raised would link the two most difficult issues in the war: the territory Ukraine still holds and the security guarantee Kyiv has sought since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Zelensky described the exchange as a question, not a finished offer. “The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’” he told reporters, according to Reuters. He said it was the first time the two issues had been linked in the negotiations, and that was why he believed “NATO is back on the agenda”.

What Zelensky Said in Abu Dhabi

The two days of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi ran on 10 and 11 November and ended without a major breakthrough. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner then travelled to Moscow, where they met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, 12 November. Zelensky said the envoys had pledged to raise the possibility of an energy ceasefire with Putin.

Zelensky repeated that Kyiv was not ready to concede territory. He said that if Ukraine received a comprehensive package — including security guarantees, the right to a strong and well-funded army, and funds to rebuild — he would put the question to a national referendum. He also said any arrangement would exclude formal recognition of occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian.

He added that the US side had answered “No” when he asked whether American soldiers would be deployed on Ukrainian soil under such guarantees. NATO membership itself cannot be promised by Washington alone: under the alliance’s founding treaty, an invitation requires the unanimous agreement of all existing members. Putin has long described Ukrainian membership of NATO as a red line for Moscow.

A Record Drone Attack as Talks Continued

Even as the diplomats met, the fighting intensified. Ukraine fired almost 1,200 drones at Russian targets overnight in one of its biggest aerial attacks since the full-scale invasion began nearly five years ago, the Associated Press reported.

The Scale of the Overnight Strikes

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences downed 1,198 Ukrainian long-range drones between late Thursday and early Friday, across more than 15 regions. Ukraine’s General Staff said its drones hit an oil refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd, starting a fire. Other reports put the death toll from the Ukrainian attack at seven people, including a child, with 17 injured across three Russian regions.

Russia launched 117 drones against Ukraine overnight, killing at least two people, including a 17-year-old, the authorities said. A single Russian attack on Friday on southern Zaporizhzhia hit two five-storey apartment blocks and wounded 30 people, including six children, officials said.

Why NATO Membership Remains the Hard Question

The reported question marks a sharp change in tone. US officials had previously said Ukrainian NATO membership was off the table, the BBC reported. Now, according to Zelensky, membership is being discussed again — but tied to a territorial concession that Kyiv has so far refused and that Moscow has demanded in reverse, with Russia insisting Ukraine drop its NATO ambitions altogether.

European governments are watching closely. Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland are expected to send representatives to the next round of talks, alongside EU institutions, as the negotiations widen beyond the US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations.

What Happens Next

No date has been set for a further round, and no text of any proposal has been shared with Kyiv, Zelensky said. The prisoner exchange agreed in Abu Dhabi is the clearest practical outcome of the latest round so far. Whether the Donbas question becomes a formal part of the talks — or remains an exploratory question raised by negotiators — will shape the next phase of diplomacy.

Conclusion

Zelensky’s account has put the most difficult trade-off of the war back on the table: land for security. Until the United States confirms what was said and any written proposal appears, it remains a question raised in talks, not an agreed exchange. On the ground, the record drone attack shows that neither side is pausing the war while the talking continues.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What did Zelensky say the US proposed?

Zelensky said American negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas if it could join NATO. He described it as a question raised in talks, not a formal offer.

Has the United States confirmed his account?

No. The United States has not publicly confirmed Zelensky’s account, and no written proposal setting out an accession date or withdrawal terms has been published.

What is the Donbas?

The Donbas is the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine. Russia controls most of Luhansk and substantial parts of Donetsk; Ukraine still holds about a fifth of Donetsk.

Would Ukraine accept giving up territory?

Zelensky said Kyiv is not ready to concede territory, but would put a comprehensive package — security guarantees, a strong army and reconstruction funds — to a national referendum if one were agreed.

How big was the drone attack?

Russia said its air defences downed 1,198 Ukrainian long-range drones overnight on 12–13 November, in one of the largest aerial attacks of the war. Ukraine said it hit a refinery in Volgograd.