US ties Ukraine security guarantees to Donbas withdrawal, Zelenskyy says
Kiev faces pressure from Washington to concede eastern territory in exchange for long-term security guarantees as Iran war shifts US priorities.
The United States has made its offer of security guarantees for a peace deal in Ukraine conditional on Kiev ceding all of the eastern region of Donbas to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Reuters in an interview.
Zelenskyy said Washington is applying pressure on Ukraine as it seeks a quick end to the war that started in 2022, with the war in the Middle East influencing US priorities.
"The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump… he still chooses a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side," he said.
The United States, Russia and Ukraine have held three rounds of trilateral talks this year in Abu Dhabi and Geneva.
Zelenskyy said two key issues remain unresolved: who would fund Ukraine's military needs and how allies would respond to future Russian aggression.
"The Americans are prepared to finalise these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas," he said.
Russia has insisted that full control of Donbas is central to its war aims, although analysts say its advance has been slow.
Zelenskyy warned that withdrawing would weaken Ukraine and Europe.
"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.
Talks uncertain
A fourth round of talks has been postponed due to the Iran war.
Zelenskyy said Russia is betting Washington will lose interest if negotiations stall.
He called for a summit with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve key issues.
"I am not a box of chocolates… the President of the United States looks at this more pragmatically," he said.
He also thanked Washington for continuing deliveries of Patriot missile systems, though he said supplies remain insufficient.