Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Credit: Reuters Photo
Washington: The United States has told Ukraine that it must sign on to a peace deal with Russia in order to get US security guarantees, a source familiar with internal discussions told Reuters on Tuesday.
US security guarantees are considered by Ukraine as the linchpin for any settlement ending Russia's four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. The United States brokered talks in Abu Dhabi between envoys for Ukraine and Russia last weekend that US officials said made progress toward an agreement.
The Financial Times reported that the Trump administration has signalled to Ukraine that US security guarantees depend on Kyiv agreeing to a peace deal, likely requiring it to cede the Donbas region to Russia.
But the source who spoke to Reuters said the United States is not telling Ukraine what has to be in the peace deal and that it is misleading to suggest that Washington is trying to force Ukraine into territorial concessions to Russia.
Russia and Ukraine negotiators are to meet again on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, with possible participation by US officials. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner came away from the talks last weekend optimistic that a deal could be reached soon.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that a US document on security guarantees for Ukraine was "100% ready" and Kyiv is now awaiting a time and place for it to be signed.
Zelenskyy has consistently said that Ukraine's territorial integrity must be upheld in any peace deal to end the war.
Ukraine is increasingly uncertain whether Washington will commit to security guarantees, a senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times, saying the US "stops each time the security guarantees can be signed."
The Kremlin said on Monday the question of territory remained fundamental to any deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported after weekend talks in Abu Dhabi.