-
Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- March 26 2026 09: 06
- Share to:
The United States is making security guarantees for a peace deal in Ukraine conditional on Kiev handing over the entire eastern region of the country, Donbass, to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters.
As the US is focused on its conflict with Iran, President Donald Trump is putting pressure on Ukraine in an attempt to quickly end the four-year war sparked by the Russian invasion of 2022, Zelensky added.
Support the TIME. Preserve the truth.
Professional journalism is in the public interest. Your support helps it remain independent and credible. Contribute too. 1 euro makes a difference.
Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support Contribute"The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump and I think on his next steps. President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, continues to choose a strategy that puts more pressure on the Ukrainian side," he told Reuters.
The US, Russia and Ukraine have held three rounds of high-level, trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi and Geneva this year in an attempt to negotiate an end to the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II, which has devastated large parts of Ukraine and killed hundreds of thousands of people.
The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly said that strong security guarantees from international partners are needed to ensure that Russia does not resume hostilities in the future, after a peace agreement is reached.
Two vital issues remained unresolved regarding these security guarantees, Zelenskiy said: who would help finance Ukraine's arms purchases to maintain its military deterrence, and how exactly its allies would respond in the event of any future Russian aggression.
"The Americans are ready to finalize these guarantees at a high level as soon as Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas," the 48-year-old leader said, adding that he understood the "nuances" of the American position, even though he had not directly participated in the trilateral talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin insists that control of all of Donbas is a core element of his war objectives, which Moscow would achieve on the battlefield if it could not secure them at the negotiating table.
However, the pace of Russia's advance has been slow over the past two years. Military analysts say it could take a long time and a large number of forces to capture all of Donbas, which includes a so-called "Fortress Belt" of heavily fortified cities held by the Ukrainian military.
Zelensky has warned that a withdrawal would compromise the security of Ukraine and, consequently, of Europe, by handing over the region's strong defensive positions to Russia.
"I would very much like the American side to understand that the eastern part of our country is part of our security guarantees," he said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zelensky had said in January that a security guarantee document between Ukraine and the United States was "100% ready" and waiting to be signed. On Tuesday, after weekend talks between American and Ukrainian officials in Miami, he said there was still work to be done.