United States negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw forces from Donbas as a condition for joining NATO, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy revealed the proposal on Saturday, November 14, marking the first time Washington has floated such a territorial concession during peace efforts, Investing reported. The diplomatic push follows a two-day trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11 involving delegates from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, detikNews reported.
While that session yielded no ceasefire agreement, delegations agreed to large-scale prisoner exchanges, with figures discussed ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 captives on each side, detikNews noted. Negotiators also agreed that European Union representatives must join future talks, CNN Indonesia reported.
“America is asking the question, ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Will Ukraine withdraw its troops from Donbas?’ This is the first time such a question has been asked,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Abu Dhabi negotiations wrapped up without a formal ceasefire, though participating nations established a framework for continued dialogue. US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff attended the sessions and subsequently held separate meetings in Moscow and Dublin with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, as reported.
Although territorial disputes remain unresolved, Russian officials indicated that a major prisoner swap could materialize within two to three weeks, detikNews reported. Dawyd Arachamija, a Ukrainian negotiator in Abu Dhabi, assessed that the US approach to post-conflict security has opened new avenues for productive cooperation, detikNews reported.
Zelenskyy stressed that any final decision involving territorial concessions would require direct public validation rather than unilateral executive action. He said that Kyiv is actively discussing concrete security guarantees from the European Union and NATO.
“If they confirm it, I will ask the Ukrainian people whether we accept the proposal or not. I don’t have the right to make such a decision alone,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Negotiations also hit roadblocks over humanitarian proposals. Zelenskyy rejected a Russian push to send a mission to Kostyantynivka, characterizing it as a tactical maneuver designed to force Ukrainian troops out of the Donetsk region city. He also said that Moscow rejected a proposed energy sector ceasefire during the recent talks, insisting that Russia is dedicating all resources to win the conflict this winter, CNN Indonesia reported.
“Regarding the proposed ceasefire in the energy sector, Russia does not want it,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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