US proposes NATO membership in exchange for Donbas – Zelenskyi
"The Americans raised the question: 'If Ukraine joins NATO, will it withdraw from Donbas?' This was the first time," the president said.
Zelenskyi explained that if such a proposal were put forward, he would be ready to discuss it with Ukrainians and present them with the position of Ukraine's international partners.
"If such a proposal is made, I, as president, will engage in an open dialogue with society and say: 'Look, this is where we stand, this is how all our partners have come together, and this is how they see things moving forward.' […] I have no right to decide on my own not to do this. But we need specifics, which we do not yet have, and all of this remains subject to discussion," the president explained.
At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine would not recognise the occupied territories as Russian even under such a scenario.
Kyiv is continuing talks with international partners on a comprehensive package of security guarantees for Ukraine. These include potential guarantees from NATO and the European Union.
"We are discussing with our partners a comprehensive security package that could be offered to us during the negotiations: concrete security guarantees from NATO and the EU; a strong Ukrainian army — including a specified number of troops, weapons, and financial support for a defined period — and a Prosperity Plan, or reconstruction plan, backed by funding with clearly identified sources," the president said.
Key takeaways from the meeting with journalists
"The current Starshield restrictions suggest that SpaceX is behind them. That is what my team is telling me. This does not entirely match what we heard earlier, so we need to clarify the situation," the president said.
It is worth recalling that during the talks in Abu Dhabi, Russia's delegation put forward demands to change Europe's security architecture, reviving proposals Moscow had made in 2021, shortly before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the Kremlin wants NATO to withdraw its troops and military bases to the Alliance's 1997 borders, while France and the United Kingdom would have to rule out using nuclear weapons to defend other European countries.
As Rubryka previously reported, in June 2024, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced new proposals for a "peace settlement" to end the war against Ukraine. Among other demands, he called on Kyiv to abandon its bid to join NATO and recognise certain Ukrainian regions as Russian.
Zelenskyi, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that Kyiv will not voluntarily surrender territories that Russian forces have failed to capture during years of war. He has explained that seizing the so-called "fortress belt" in Donetsk region would open the way for Russia to advance into other parts of Ukraine.
It is also worth noting that retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg has urged the United States to consider establishing a new defense alliance amid what he views as NATO's ineffectiveness during the conflict with Iran. He suggested that Washington could seek new forms of security partnership that Ukraine could potentially join.
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14 of November 2026
