Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said U.S. negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw its remaining forces from the eastern Donbas region if it were offered NATO membership, in remarks reported on Saturday, Nov. 14. [1]
“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins Nato? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelensky told reporters, BBC News said. [1]
Related: Witkoff and Kushner Hold Talks With Putin in Moscow.
What the U.S. envoys asked
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Zelensky in Dublin on Thursday, a day after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. [1]
The envoys asked if Ukraine would give up the Donbas in exchange for NATO membership or NATO-like security guarantees. [2]
Zelensky said the details were vague and did not appear to involve U.S. peacekeeping troops on the ground. [2]
U.S. officials had previously said Ukrainian NATO membership was off the table. [1] Zelensky said the question made him believe that “Nato is back on the agenda,” BBC News reported. [1]
He added a caution: “You have also heard Putin’s signals, and this is an extremely difficult conversation.” [1]
Referendum condition and Kyiv’s red lines
Zelensky said he would put a proposal to a referendum if it contained security guarantees, no limits on Ukraine’s military and money to rebuild the country. [1]
He also ruled out giving more land to Russia, The Guardian reported. [2] He said the war could end only with a ceasefire and meaningful security guarantees underwritten by Western partners. [2]
Russia occupies roughly a fifth of Ukraine, including most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas. [1] Ceding the small part Kyiv still holds there would be a minor change on the ground but a major symbolic step. [1]
Moscow has demanded the whole Donbas, limits on Ukraine’s army and guaranteed neutrality. [1] Kyiv has rejected those terms. [1]
Kostiantynivka truce offer and NATO demands
Zelensky dismissed a Russian offer of a five-day “humanitarian mission” in the eastern city of Kostiantynivka. [2] “Putin simply wants us to leave Kostiantynivka so that they can move in,” he said, according to The Guardian. [2]
The offer was modeled on last month’s truce in Russian-occupied Oleshky, where civilians were evacuated. [2] First lady Melania Trump brokered that temporary ceasefire. [1]
Zelensky called Russian efforts to discuss Europe’s security architecture “concerning.” [2] The Kremlin has called for NATO to return to its pre-1997 configuration, before Eastern European states joined. [2]
Starshield dispute
Zelensky also accused SpaceX of not being truthful about speed limits on its military-grade Starshield satellite service. [2]
He said the restrictions had been in place for five days and cut connections for Ukrainian drones flying faster than 161 km/h (100 mph). [2] He said that left Ukraine unable to intercept jet-powered Russian Shahed drones. [2]
SpaceX told Ukraine’s defense ministry that it was imposing no restrictions and cited a technical issue, Zelensky said. [2] “We do not believe that is the case,” he said. [2]
He said European leaders in Dublin pledged support, including Danish ammunition for F-16 jets used against Russian drones. [2]
More coverage
Follow the war on The Boston Report’s Ukraine war tracker, the war news hub and the world news section. Earlier: Kushner Says Europe Will Join Ukraine Peace Talks.
Sources
- BBC News: US has floated Ukraine ceding Donbas for Nato membership, Zelensky says
- The Guardian: SpaceX not being honest about ‘political’ reasons for slowing Starshield, says Zelenskyy
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