Zelenskyy Says U.S. Tying Ukraine Security Guarantees to Ceding Donbas; White House Disputes Claim

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters that U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine are being conditioned on Kyiv agreeing to withdraw from the eastern Donbas region as part of a potential peace deal with Russia, a claim a U.S. official quickly denied to Fox News Digital as false. In an interview published Thursday, Zelenskyy said "the Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas," warning that giving up the heavily fortified region would weaken Ukraine’s defenses and broader European security. He linked Washington’s alleged pressure to President Donald Trump’s focus on ending the war quickly amid competing crises, including the Iran conflict, and said Trump is "still" choosing a strategy of putting more pressure on Ukraine. The piece notes that U.S., Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have held talks in Abu Dhabi and Geneva in 2026 but remain divided over security guarantees and long‑term defense funding, and that Moscow is betting Washington will lose patience if negotiations drag on. Zelenskyy simultaneously thanked the Trump administration for continuing Patriot missile deliveries while arguing they remain insufficient, underscoring a fraught mix of dependence on U.S. arms and distrust of U.S. diplomatic aims.