Zelensky says US raised Donbas trade for Nato-like security

In an interview with Danish broadcaster DR Nyheder, Zelensky said Americans had asked whether Ukraine could trade Donbas for security. When he asked whether that meant Nato membership, he said they replied: “Not Nato, but something similar to Nato.” The exchange appeared in a Ukrainian-language extract published on his official Telegram channel on 10 November; the quotation is translated.

Zelensky questioned what such guarantees would mean, saying the Americans wanted a clear answer about Donbas while offering a less precise answer on security. He did not identify the Americans involved or say when the conversation took place.

A 14 November ANP/Reuters report carried by Dutch outlet Nieuws.nl gave a different account, saying Zelensky had described a US question about giving up occupied parts of Donbas in exchange for Nato membership. The report did not say where or when he made the remarks. It is unclear whether it referred to the same conversation as the DR interview.

In that interview, Zelensky argued that Russia would attack again after a Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas. He said the quickest route to ending the war would be a ceasefire along existing positions, followed by negotiations.

Russian and Ukrainian delegations began US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 November. Zelensky said security guarantees were among the subjects discussed. Russia has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from four regions Moscow claims and abandon its bid to join Nato; Kyiv rejects the territorial demands and seeks a ceasefire before wider negotiations.