+++ Ukraine War +++: According to Selnskyj, the USA proposes Donbas withdrawal in exchange for NATO membership

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, US negotiators have suggested that Ukraine withdraw from the eastern Donbass region in exchange for joining NATO. This was brought up after the latest round of peace talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi, Zelensky said in a statement. He reiterated that Kyiv was not ready to cede territory. However, if Ukraine receives a comprehensive security package - including security guarantees, a well-funded army and reconstruction aid - he would put the question to a vote in a referendum.

"The Americans raised the question: 'What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbass?' That was the first time this was brought up,” Zelensky explained. “That’s why I think NATO is back on the agenda.” However, he also referred to signals from Russian President Vladimir Putin and emphasized that this was an “extremely difficult conversation.”

According to their own statements, Russian troops have taken over the town of Tersyanka in the southeastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia. This was reported by the Russian news agency Interfax, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The armed forces also attacked Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure as well as ammunition depots and drone production facilities.

Democratic US senators have called on Elon Musk to preserve all documents about the restricted use of the Starlink and Starshield satellite services in Ukraine. In a letter, they requested, among other things, records of communications between Musk and executives at his company SpaceX as well as the White House and the Pentagon.

The restrictions raise "serious questions" about SpaceX's control over communications systems critical to national security, the politicians said. According to the Ukrainian armed forces, the military Starlink version Starshield is indispensable for communication on the front lines and for drone operations to defend against Russian air attacks.

US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin will meet in China next week for a three-way meeting, according to the White House. Trump also wanted to talk about a possible reduction in global nuclear weapons stocks, it was said from government headquarters in Washington.

According to regional authorities, three people were killed and more than 50 injured in Russian attacks on two Ukrainian cities. In the southeastern city of Zaporizhia, a bullet hit a five-story residential building. A rescue worker was killed when a concrete slab collapsed during the rescue work, as the region's governor, Mykhailo Semikin, announced on Telegram. Six children were among the injured. According to the head of the military administration, Serhiy Lyssak, two people died in an attack on a private house in the port city of Odessa. Five other people suffered injuries. The information could not initially be independently verified by the Reuters news agency.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again criticized a throttling of the US Starshield satellite internet over Ukraine. “Unfortunately, the speed restrictions remain in place along the entire front line and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a video message. The Ukrainian foreign and defense ministries have been instructed to raise the issue with “all authorities in America.”

“The temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine belongs to us, it is our sovereign territory,” the head of state emphasized. The restrictions are a “very bad signal” – they affect Ukraine’s ability to defend against drones. “And it also sends a signal to Russia that America could take a different stance towards our temporarily occupied territories,” Zelensky warned. Kyiv is counting on a restoration of speed.

Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Poland, together with the EU institutions, are to represent the Europeans in Ukraine talks with Russia. The heads of state and government of the EU states had agreed on this, said EU Council President António Costa after the conclusion of a summit meeting in Dublin.

As expected, the informal EU summit in Dublin did not agree on who should speak for Europe with Russia in the Ukraine negotiations. Several small EU states spoke out in favor of official representatives of the EU leadership holding possible talks with Russia. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on Friday that Portuguese EU Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who comes from his home country, should speak for the EU at peace talks. Kallas also demanded her own participation. Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden had already spoken out in favor of Costa on Thursday.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russia is open to contacts with the Europeans. Peskov said that Moscow would only decide on larger-scale talks on Ukraine once Europe's intentions were clear. "Once we understand (Europe's) true intentions and their willingness to support the peace process, it will be possible to make a decision on dialogue on a settlement in Ukraine in an expanded format," Peskov said.

At least seven people are said to have died in Ukrainian attacks on Russia. A 12-year-old child was among those killed in the attacks on three Russian regions, local authorities said. 17 other people were injured.

Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have caused widespread power outages in about half of the country's regions. Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov announced this on Friday.

The federal government is expanding its winter aid for Ukraine in view of the ongoing Russian attacks. The Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development announced that they would provide additional funds totaling 200 million euros in the short term.

According to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, further negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will primarily focus on security guarantees for the country attacked by Russia. There will be no negotiations without Ukraine or without Europe; we agree on this with the USA, said the CDU leader on Friday on the sidelines of the EU summit in Dublin.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is receiving support for his controversial move to link the financing of new, necessary aid to Ukraine with the EU budget negotiations. At an EU summit, several heads of state and government supported the Chancellor's plan.