Zelenskyy says US proposed trading Donbas for NATO membership

US President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said US negotiators asked for the first time whether Ukraine would withdraw its forces from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, a proposal he opposes but would consider presenting to the public. Zelenskyy told reporters on November 13 that Ukraine fundamentally rejects giving up its territories, but would weigh a comprehensive security package if the US and NATO partners confirm concrete guarantees. He stressed he cannot decide unilaterally and needs specifics, which are not yet available. Donbas, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk, has been partly occupied by Russia since 2014 and annexed in 2022. Washington has not commented, and recent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi produced no breakthrough, with only prisoner exchange preparations confirmed.