Washington has made it clear that U.S. security commitments depend on Kyiv reaching an agreement with Russia, reports the Financial Times citing sources. The White House denies the information.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear to Ukraine that security guarantees from Washington depend on whether Kyiv agrees to a peace agreement that is likely to involve the transfer of Donbas to Russia. This was reported on Tuesday, January 27, by the Financial Times (FT), citing eight sources.
Two of them clarified that Washington also promised Kyiv additional arms supplies for support in peacetime if Ukraine meets this condition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hoped to sign documents with the U.S. regarding security guarantees and a post-war "prosperity plan" as early as this month, which would give Kyiv leverage for further negotiations with Moscow, FT reminded. However, Washington has indicated that U.S. security commitments depend on Kyiv reaching an agreement with Russia. Zelensky claimed that the text of the security guarantees he discussed with Trump in Davos is "100 percent ready."
According to one senior Ukrainian official, it is unclear whether the U.S. will take on specific commitments. "They stop every time there is an opportunity to sign security guarantees," the source noted. Meanwhile, Ukraine wants confirmation before giving up a number of territories, the newspaper explains.
White House: Claims Are Not True
Meanwhile, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly denied the claims made in the article. "This is completely untrue - the only role of the U.S. in the peace process is to bring both sides together to reach a deal," she assured.
"It is very regrettable that the Financial Times allows maliciously and anonymously spreading lies to disrupt the peace process, which is in excellent shape after the historic trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi this past weekend," Kelly added.
Another source familiar with the U.S. position stated that Washington "is not trying to impose any territorial concessions on Ukraine." "The U.S. has stated that security guarantees depend on both sides agreeing to a peace deal, but the content of the peace deal depends on Russia and Ukraine," he added.
Experts in Ukraine: Russia Uses Donbas as a Launchpad for Offense
The administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not comment on the situation. A senior official in Kyiv, in turn, noted that the U.S. "uses guarantees <...> to push Ukraine" towards concessions that they believe could "force Russia to come to the negotiating table."
Meanwhile, a number of Ukrainian officials and military analysts expressed the opinion that if Russia gains control of Donbas, it would give its forces a launchpad for an offensive deeper into Ukraine.
A new round of trilateral negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. will take place in Abu Dhabi on February 1, Zelensky said.
