US Demands Full Donbass Withdrawal for Ukraine Security Deal
The disclosure lays bare one of the most contentious fault lines blocking a peace settlement — Kyiv's refusal to cede the partially occupied eastern territories that Moscow formally annexed following 2022 referendums, a move unrecognized under international law.
Zelensky, who has consistently demanded security guarantees as a non-negotiable precondition for any agreement, said Ukraine requires firm commitments on two fronts: sustained weapons financing and a guaranteed response from Western allies should hostilities resume following a ceasefire.
"Americans are ready to finalize the security guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbass. The US will then provide security guarantees Ukraine is seeking," he stated.
Yet in the same breath, Zelensky flatly rejected any pullback from the east, framing such a move as a direct threat to both Ukrainian and broader European security. "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.
Trump Turns the Screws — With Iran in the Crosshairs
Zelensky also alleged that President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Kyiv to conclude a deal, attributing the urgency to Washington's mounting preoccupation with Iran.
"President Trump… chooses a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side," Zelensky said, adding that American officials have been candid about their shifting priorities. "For the American side, Ukraine is not the first priority. They shared this message: The situation in Ukraine is very important… but our army is in Iran, and that's why our focus is on the Middle East."
Sources familiar with the negotiations told media that the Trump administration's patience with Kyiv is wearing thin, with officials describing talks as "going in circles" and warning that Washington may disengage entirely to concentrate on Iran and domestic affairs unless Ukraine agrees to relinquish Donbass.
Moscow's Red Lines Remain Firm
Russia has not categorically opposed the notion of security guarantees for Kyiv, but has insisted they must be mutually balanced — not designed to "contain" Moscow — and must follow, not precede, a comprehensive peace agreement. Russian officials maintain that any durable settlement must include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and formal recognition of the annexed regions as Russian territory.
Three rounds of trilateral negotiations between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv have taken place this year, each ending without a breakthrough. A fourth round, originally scheduled for this month, was indefinitely postponed following the outbreak of hostilities involving Iran. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the current impasse as a "situational pause," indicating talks would resume once diplomatic schedules could be realigned.
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