Zelensky says that the United States links security guarantees to ceding Donbass to Russia

“The Americans are ready to finalize these guarantees at a high level as soon as Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,” Zelensky said, describing a proposal that he warned could undermine Ukraine’s defenses and broader European security.

But a US official, speaking on background, told Fox News Digital that the claim was false.

Zelensky’s comments indicate this Increased pressure From President Donald Trump to bring a quick end to the war, which is now in its fourth year after the Russian invasion in 2022.

Zelensky says a peace deal is close after Trump meeting but territory remains a point of contention

Zelensky noted that the administration’s approach is partly influenced by competing global crises, including the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said US security guarantees for Ukraine are linked to Kiev ceding the eastern Donbas region to Russia as part of a potential peace deal. (Pavlo Bahmut/UkrinForm/Norphoto via Getty Images)

“the The Middle East “He certainly has influence on President Trump,” Zelensky said. “President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, is still choosing the strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side.”

Talks between the United StatesThe Russia-Ukraine summit will be held in Abu Dhabi and Geneva in 2026, but key issues remain unresolved, including how to ensure Ukraine’s future security and who will finance its long-term defense.

Zelensky warned that abandoning Donbass would give Russia heavily fortified Ukrainian defensive lines, weakening Kiev’s position and potentially allowing future aggression.

“I would very much like the American side to understand that The eastern part of our country “It is part of our security guarantees.”

Zelensky claims Trump said the US would consider giving Ukraine security guarantees for decades

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that abandoning Donbass would give Russia heavily fortified Ukrainian defense lines. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long insisted that full control of Donbass is essential to Moscow’s war aims. While Russian forces have made gains, analysts cited by Reuters say progress has been slow, and that controlling the remaining territory may take a long time and significant manpower.

Zelensky also warned that Moscow is betting that Washington will lose interest if that happens Negotiations faltered.

He added, “Russia is counting on the fact that the United States will not have the strength or patience to end this matter.”

Despite tensions over the negotiations, Zelensky thanked Russia Trump administration To continue deliveries of Patriot missile defense systems, which Ukraine relies on to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.

“The supplies to us have not stopped. I am very grateful to President Trump and his team,” he said, adding that the supplies were still insufficient.

In parallel with the diplomatic push, Zelensky pointed to a broader strategy to expand Ukraine’s role as a security provider, especially in the Middle East, where countries are looking for solutions to widespread drone and missile threats.

Peace talks in Ukraine are fruitful as a former government official says his country is reconsidering its “hard-line” stance.

A cemetery worker prepares a burial vault at a military cemetery outside the city of Dnipro, Ukraine, May 25, 2023. (Seth Herald/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“The United States has reached out to us regarding its bases in Middle Eastern countries,” Zelensky wrote on Thursday, adding that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait have also reached out to Ukraine.

He said that Ukrainian teams are already on the ground to exchange operational experiences, especially in confronting mass drone attacks.

“No matter how many Patriots, THAAD, or other air defense systems are in the Middle East, this alone is not enough,” he wrote. “There are modern interceptor missiles designed to counter heavy drone strikes.”

Zelensky also noted that Ukraine is exploring defense trade arrangements, offering to sell surplus systems and expertise while seeking to acquire air defense missiles it currently lacks.

“Finance is the scarcest resource todayHe wrote, noting that Ukraine’s defense industry is operating at roughly half capacity and needs additional funding to expand drone production.

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Ukraine is exploring defense trade arrangements, the country’s president said. (Irina Rybakova/Press Service of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade Kholodny Yar of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Reuters)

In separate posts linked to a speech at the Joint Expeditionary Force summit, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s battlefield experience could play a broader role in European and global security.

“We have this experience… let’s bring all this together more,” he wrote, calling for deeper cooperation with… European partners The warning is that the continent must build its own capacity to produce air defense systems rather than rely on external suppliers.

Reuters contributed to this story.