President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the United States has conditioned its offer of the security guarantees Ukraine seeks for a peace agreement on Kyiv surrendering control of the entire Donbas region to Russia. He described this as part of U.S. pressure aimed at securing a rapid end to the four-year war that followed Russia's 2022 invasion.
Speaking in an interview, Zelenskiy linked the U.S. stance to Washington's concern with its own confrontation in the Middle East, saying that "The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump, and I think on his next steps. President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, still chooses a strategy to put more pressure on the Ukrainian side."
Zelenskiy reiterated Ukraine's long-standing position that robust international security guarantees are essential to prevent Russia from renewing hostilities should a peace arrangement be reached. He said the Americans were prepared to finalise such guarantees at a senior level only after Ukraine agreed to withdraw from Donbas, adding that such a withdrawal would damage the security of Ukraine and, by extension, Europe because it would cede the region's strong defensive positions to Russia.
When asked for comment, the White House did not immediately respond.
The president recalled that in January he had described the security guarantees document between Ukraine and the United States as "100% ready" and awaiting signature. After recent talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials held in Miami, he said there remained additional work to be completed on the arrangement.
Moscow's objectives and battlefield dynamics
Zelenskiy said Russia, which consistently demands territory in Donbas that remains under Ukrainian control, appears to be wagering that Washington could lose interest in the negotiations and withdraw from the process. He noted that Russian forces are advancing slowly in eastern Ukraine.
Military analysts, he said, estimate it could take several years and substantial manpower for Russia to fully seize the region. Donbas includes what has been described as a so-called 'Fortress Belt' - urban areas that Ukrainian forces have heavily fortified and that provide strong defensive positions.
Air defence supplies and domestic production
Following heavy Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities on Wednesday, Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to the U.S. administration for continuing deliveries of Patriot missile defence systems amid increased global demand tied to the Gulf conflict. Ukrainian officials had previously feared that shipments of U.S.-made Patriots - noted in Ukrainian commentary as the only missiles capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles - might be curtailed because of the Iran conflict.
"We were not stopped from deliveries. I’m very grateful to President Trump, and to his team," Zelenskiy said. He added a caveat: "But this supply of Patriot missiles is not as large as we need."
He also said Ukraine was making progress producing its own long-range missiles and drones, which has enabled strikes deeper into Russian territory in retaliation for Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
As discussions continue between Kyiv and Washington over the final text and timing of security guarantees, Zelenskiy framed the core dilemma starkly: accept guarantees that he says are conditioned on territorial concessions that would hand Russia fortified defensive positions, or hold out for stronger terms while facing a battlefield in which Russian forces continue to press forward.