Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a meeting with journalists, summed up a series of contacts with Western partners and disclosed details on preparations for a new phase of peace talks. Key topics included a large-scale prisoner exchange in a 'more than a thousand for more than a thousand' format, Europe joining the trilateral negotiation format, and the US side raising for the first time the question of Ukraine's potential NATO membership in exchange for withdrawing from Donbas territories. The Head of State also reported on new military and energy aid packages and the testing of satellite communication alternatives.
Denmark's Package and the FREYJA Program
According to Zelenskyy, Denmark has allocated a €645 million support package to Ukraine, which includes 20mm ammunition for F-16 fighter jets to intercept Shahed drone swarms, about €200 million for drone production, funding for co-production, and a separate energy package for the Kherson region. An agreement was also reached to supply Ukraine with 800,000 F-16 shells over six months. Discussions with the Nordic bloc (N5) focused on support for the next year, air defense systems, and the advancement of the FREYJA anti-ballistic program, under which, according to the President, a Danish radar, a Ukrainian launcher, and a missile are already ready. Meanwhile, the PURL program, he noted, requires additional partner contributions.
Satellite Communications and Alternatives
Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is testing alternative satellite communication options together with France, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, with Germany also joining the effort. This is directly related to the previously highlighted issue of satellite internet terminal speed restrictions, which affects both civilian and military communications.
Air Defense, Aviation, and Winter Energy
At the upcoming Ramstein format meeting and the 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting in Berlin on November 19, Ukraine expects decisions regarding PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, F-16 fighter jets, and winter energy packages for cities. Zelenskyy emphasized that the need for aircraft simultaneously airborne is 2.5 times greater than the current number due to constant fleet maintenance cycles. Separately, he pointed out the need for energy packages for Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — diesel, gasoline, generators, and buses in case public electric transport is reduced. The Cabinet of Ministers, he said, will cooperate with the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre in case of blackouts.
'Thousand for Thousand' Prisoner Exchange
Ukraine has supported the principle of an 'all for all' exchange. Following the US delegation's trip to Moscow, the President stated that a format of 'more than a thousand for more than a thousand' has been agreed upon, with the exact number currently estimated between 1,200 and 1,300 people.
Europe at the Negotiation Table
The US and Russia have agreed to Europe joining the trilateral negotiation format. By the end of November, European partners must determine their representatives — presumably 3 to 5 individuals representing Europe as a whole — whose final composition will be approved by Ukraine. 'Next time Europe will not be in the next room, but at the same negotiation table, and we will have a common agenda,' Zelenskyy noted.
Donbas Issue and NATO Membership
Zelenskyy shared that US negotiators raised for the first time the issue of Ukraine withdrawing from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership: 'The Americans asked the question: „What if Ukraine is in NATO, will Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?“ This was for the first time.' He stressed that Ukraine does not recognize occupied territories as Russian and will only submit the issue to public discussion as part of a comprehensive package featuring specific guarantees from NATO and the EU, funding for a strong army, and a recovery plan. When asked about guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5, the US side reportedly clarified that it refers to bilateral agreements without stationing American troops in Ukraine; however, Zelenskyy stated that full NATO membership, supported in particular by France, Denmark, and the Nordics, is a real preventive defense.
Security Architecture and Truce
Zelenskyy stated that Russia refuses an energy ceasefire or any other truce, and 'Putin personally does not support a ceasefire.' He cautioned against attempts to revise Europe's security architecture before the war ends, outlining the sequence: first a ceasefire and the end of the war, then Ukraine's security guarantees, and only after that broader discussions. 'It seems that in 2021 Putin brought precisely this idea to Biden: a redistribution of power in Europe and the world, the weakening or withdrawal of NATO troops, the withdrawal of American troops. Any such changes are very dangerous,' the President explained.
