Zelensky: U.S. ready to provide security guarantees only after Ukrainian army withdraws from Donbas
According to a Ukrinform correspondent, President Volodymyr Zelensky made this statement during a Zoom conference with journalists while in Qatar.
“If Russia is sounding quite ultimatum-like today, it will end the war only after the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdraw from the entire territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. If this ultimatum is being issued, and the American side says, ‘Once Russia stops the war, we will hand over the sanctions. Otherwise, we will not hand over the sanctions.’ One can view this in different ways, but all the signals throughout the entire negotiation process indicate—and this is not just my analysis, it is stated quite clearly—that we will be able to obtain security guarantees from the United States not before a ceasefire, not before the end of the war, but after our troops withdraw from Donbas, which is a condition for ending the war. “It is precisely in this format that we will be able to obtain security guarantees from the U.S.,” he said.
Zelensky recalled that he had spoken publicly and with partners about the Ukrainian side's intention to sign security guarantees before the end of the war. According to the President, they were almost ready. The president emphasized that the Prosperity Package was also discussed.
“But the American side said, ‘No, this will only happen once the war ends.’ I pointed out that they won’t take action; there’s no need to worry about that. They will act once Congress votes, and Congress will vote only after the war ends. However, we were told that the question is not when this comes into effect, but when these guarantees are given to us. The guarantees are given to us only after we withdraw from Donbas. And that is the condition for ending the war today,” he said.
As reported by Ukrinform, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio refuted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks regarding security guarantees in exchange for the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Photo: Office of the President
