War in Ukraine: Withdrawal from Donbass against NATO membership? The new track mentioned by Washington

Have you missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Here is the gist of this Saturday, November 14, 2026, on the 1,724th day of the conflict.

Fact of the day

Donbass against NATO membership? This is the hypothesis raised for the first time by the United States with Ukraine, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. In remarks broadcast on Saturday, the Ukrainian president returned to this avenue mentioned by American negotiators at the end of the talks organized this week in Abu Dhabi, under the mediation of Washington.

“The Americans raised a question: 'What if Ukraine joined NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbass?' It was the first time that this question was asked,” he said.

But kyiv does not intend to cede territory to Moscow. Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed that “Ukraine is not withdrawing or ceding any land to terrorists.”

However, he said he was ready to consult the population on a possible peace agreement, on condition of obtaining solid security guarantees from the West, the maintenance of a strong Ukrainian army and commitments for the reconstruction of the country. “I do not have the right to make this decision alone,” he clarified.

Today's statement

“They are betting everything on this winter. »

Volodymyr Zelensky warned about Moscow's military strategy for the coming months. The Ukrainian president believes that Russia is counting on its winter campaign to influence the outcome of the conflict, which is approaching its fifth anniversary.

He also called on the American Congress to adopt a new package combining sanctions and arms deliveries to Ukraine. According to him, this combination constitutes “the type of motivation Putin needs” to begin de-escalation. An appeal launched when peace negotiations have still not resulted in a ceasefire.

The number of the day

Nearly 50,000. This is the number of homes without electricity in the Odessa region, in southern Ukraine, after a Russian strike against an energy installation, which occurred Saturday morning, according to the operator DTEK. Already targeted several times, the site has suffered damage which could take time to repair.

Our file on the war in Ukraine

This attack comes as Russian bombing against the Ukrainian energy network reached, in October, an intensity unequaled since the start of the invasion in February 2022, according to the general director of DTEK, Maxim Timchenko.