In an interview with Reuters, published on March 25, the Ukrainian head of state said that the United States associates the provision of security guarantees for Ukraine with the possibility of the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrawing from Donbass.
“It's not true. I saw him [Зеленский] said that, and it’s a shame that he said that because he knows that’s not true and that he wasn’t told that,” Rubio said.
According to him, Zelensky was explained that security guarantees would not apply until the war ended.
Under guarantees, he said, we are talking about troops ready to intervene and provide security.
“If you introduce them now, it means that you will drag yourself into a war. He was told very clearly, and he should have understood, that security guarantees will appear only after the end of the war. But this was not due to the fact that he had to give up something,” the Secretary of State emphasized.
To a clarifying question about the US position regarding the territories, Rubio replied that Washington does not support the conditions that the Russians insist on.
“We never told them that they had to accept or refuse… The final decision rests with Ukraine. If they are not willing to make certain decisions or make certain concessions, the war will continue,” Rubio added.
Context
One of the points of the “peace plan” around which disputes continue concerns Donbass. The Russian Federation insists on the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the entire Donetsk region, the United States proposes to create a free economic or demilitarized zone on the lands of Donbass not occupied by Russia.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff called the territorial issue “the most critical” in the negotiations.
Zelensky has said more than once that Ukraine will act in its own interests in the issue of Donbass territories.
