Zelenskyy: “NATO in exchange for Donbas?” — The US question and his referendum condition

Ukraine’s president says Washington raised the possibility for the first time. He maintains his opposition to territorial concessions and demands a comprehensive security package before consulting voters.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has disclosed a new possibility raised during negotiations to end the war: American negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas in exchange for membership of NATO.

His account describes an exploratory question, rather than an agreed settlement. The Ukrainian president reiterated that Kyiv opposes surrendering territory, while leaving open the possibility of a referendum if a concrete and comprehensive security package emerges.

He made the remarks on Friday, November 13. They were released on Saturday after an embargo expired.

“This was the first time this had been raised”

Zelenskyy described the question posed by the American side following the latest round of talks in Abu Dhabi:

“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised.”

According to Associated Press and Financial Times reporting, the discussion concerns withdrawal from parts of Donbas that remain under Ukrainian control.

The disclosure brings alliance membership back into the debate over Ukraine’s postwar security guarantees. It does not establish that the parties have accepted such an arrangement.

Kyiv’s three conditions

The Ukrainian president linked any consultation with voters to a package containing:

• Specific security guarantees.
• A strong and adequately funded Ukrainian military.
• Resources for the country’s reconstruction.

Kyiv, he said, is discussing “specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU.”

Confirmation of those commitments by Western partners would be a prerequisite for the next step:

“Then I will ask Ukrainian society what it thinks: do we accept it or not? I do not have the right to make this decision alone,” he emphasized.

He did not announce a referendum date or accept a territorial concession. He outlined the process he would follow if a comprehensive proposal backed by confirmed guarantees were presented.

A warning against broadening the negotiations

Zelenskyy also expressed concern about linking an end to the war with a restructuring of Europe’s entire security framework.

His warning addresses Moscow’s effort to move the discussion beyond Ukraine and toward wider relations and military arrangements across the continent.

“It is dangerous because, in my opinion, precisely these kinds of things lead to wars or escalation,” he said.

He placed the European Union and NATO at the heart of European security:

“Real security for Europe is the EU and NATO. That is it. There is no other security for Europe.”

Two distinct questions on the table

The remarks distinguish between two critical areas of negotiation: commitments that could protect Ukraine after the war, and Russian demands for changes to European security.

On the first, Zelenskyy is seeking specific, confirmed guarantees, military strength and financing. On the second, he warns that a broader revision could create new dangers.

The American question over Donbas and NATO adds a new element to the talks. Kyiv’s stated position remains that a decision of this magnitude cannot be made by the president alone or rest on vague promises of security.

Source: pagenews.gr