US said Ukraine could give Donbas to Russia in exchange for joining Nato, Zelensky claims as peace talks end with no breakthrough

Published: 07:38 EST, 14 November 2026 | Updated: 07:41 EST, 14 November 2026 The US suggested Ukraine cede territory in the Donbas to Russia in exchange for joining Nato, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as fresh peace talks ended without a breakthrough.Ukraine's president's comments on Saturday – in which he also said Russia has rejected an energy ceasefire – come as efforts to end the war continued during peace talks this week.President Zelensky said Russia was 'betting everything' on this winter's campaign in its war with Ukraine, while warning that the Kremlin's demands to redraw Europe's security architecture are 'dangerous' and could lead to more wars.He spoke to the media on Friday after visits to Denmark and Ireland, where he met with European leaders following two days of US-brokered Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi.The talks ended with no breakthrough in Europe's worst war since the Second World War, but all sides agreed that European officials should be included in future negotiations.'The Americans raised a question: "What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?" This was the first time this had been raised,' Mr Zelensky said in comments that could only be published today.He said Ukraine was discussing 'specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU' and that if Western countries confirmed them 'then I will ask our Ukrainian society what it thinks: do we accept it or not? I have no right to make that decision on my own.'He added he now considers that discussion of Ukraine joining Nato is now back on the table, after US officials previously seemed to rule it out. But he said the peace discussions remain 'an extremely difficult conversation'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky greets US Special Envoy for Peace Jared Kushner in Dublin, Ireland on Friday US special envoys Steve Witkoff, right, Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, left, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speak to the media following peace talks with RussiaPreviously Putin has claimed that Ukraine wanting to join Nato was one of the reasons behind his invasion. Mr Zelensky reiterated that Kyiv was not ready to cede territory, but said if his country received a comprehensive package including security guarantees, the right to a strong and well-funded Ukrainian army and funds to rebuild, he would put the question to a national referendum. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff attended the Abu Dhabi talks and then met afterwards with Putin and Mr Zelensky separately.Moscow turned down a proposal for a ceasefire in attacks on energy targets at the Abu Dhabi talks, Mr Zelensky said.'On the proposal for an energy ceasefire: the Russians don't want it,' Mr Zelensky said.He also said that the US Congress adopting 'sanctions and weapons' legislation would be 'the kind of motivation Putin needs' to de-escalate. Meanwhile comments from Putin and Moscow suggest Russia, which illegally invaded Ukraine more than four years ago, has not shifted its stance on ending the war, and is still demanding significant amounts of land, and ongoing neutrality – which are beyond what the Ukrainians have said they will consider.Putin's proposal for a 'humanitarian mission' to Kostiantynivka, Mr Zelensky said, was a ploy to get Kyiv to withdraw from the embattled city and open the road to more settlements in the Donetsk region. Members of Ukraine's 7th Artillery Brigade, operating under the call sign 'GREGIT,' fire a Ukrainian-made 2S22 Bohdana 155mm self-propelled howitzer in Kharkiv on SaturdayRussia said this year that it had seized the town but Ukraine has said fighting is ongoing.'Putin simply wants us to leave Kostiantynivka so that they can move in and occupy the entire city that way,' Mr Zelensky said.Moscow's troops have inched westwards since launching the invasion in February 2022, but have been unable to seize the whole of the Donetsk region.Mr Zelensky said the EU and Nato are Europe's 'only real security' and that Moscow's bid to review the continent's security was 'dangerous because... it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations'.The talks did end with an agreement to another prisoner exchange involving 1,000 people, Mr Zelensky said.