Zelensky says U.S. raised "What if Ukraine joins NATO?" in Donbas arrangement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said American officials had for the first time put forward a possible arrangement in which Ukraine would join NATO while ceding the Donbas, according to remarks to journalists reported by the Kyiv Independent. He said the idea followed two days of U.S.-mediated Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11 that ended without a breakthrough but included agreement to swap more than 1,000 prisoners, with final figures still under discussion. Zelensky said Kyiv would not surrender land and would seek a national referendum only if Ukraine received a full package including security guarantees, a well-funded military and reconstruction aid; he ruled out recognizing Russian control of occupied areas. The idea would shift Washington’s earlier position that Ukrainian NATO membership was off the table, while Moscow has long opposed Kyiv’s alliance membership and cited it among reasons for the 2022 invasion.