Ukrainian President Zelenskyy told Reuters today that the United States has proposed offering security guarantees for a peace agreement with Ukraine, contingent on Kyiv ceding the Donbas region to Russia.

Zelenskyy said: "Once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas, the U.S. is prepared to finalize these assurances at the top level."

This marks a significant and difficult diplomatic shift. Zelenskyy's public statement amounts to the first formal acknowledgment that the U.S. is directly pressuring Ukraine to make substantial territorial concessions, using "security guarantees" as leverage.

If true, this would be the first time the U.S. has been confirmed by Ukraine to have proposed such specific conditional demands.

The Ukrainian military has not yet fully withdrawn from areas of the Donbas region—including Donetsk and Luhansk—that remain outside Russian control.

In compensation, the U.S. would finalize previously drafted security guarantee documents at the "top level."

Zelenskyy pointed out that the U.S. is currently deeply entangled in conflict with Iran, and the Trump administration is eager to exit the Ukraine crisis quickly, thus choosing to "increase pressure on Ukraine" to end the war swiftly.

Zelenskyy’s decision to publicly reveal this sensitive condition clearly reflects careful deliberation:

He emphasized that the withdrawal would hand over the "strong defensive positions" in the Donbas to Russian forces, endangering Ukraine’s security and directly threatening European security.

This stands in stark contrast to his earlier hardline stance—just in early March, he had firmly declared, "We will never leave Donbas, nor abandon the 200,000 Ukrainians there." This public disclosure aims to inform both domestic audiences and the international community that it is U.S. pressure that has driven Ukraine to this point.

The specific content of the U.S. security guarantees remains undisclosed. Zelenskyy previously expressed concern that if the White House changes hands (similar to the Afghanistan withdrawal), the U.S. promises could be easily reduced. Therefore, ensuring the irreversibility of the agreement is critical.

Military analysts note that if Russia were to capture the Ukrainian-controlled "fortress belt" in Donbas through sheer force, it could take years and inflict massive casualties. The timing of U.S. pressure to withdraw thus effectively demands Ukraine relinquish its last remaining military leverage for negotiations.

Zelenskyy is attempting to involve Europe as a scapegoat, emphasizing that the withdrawal would threaten European security. Should a U.S.-Ukraine agreement be reached, Europe would face greater security pressures and increased aid responsibilities.

Zelenskyy believes Russia is betting that the U.S. will lose patience due to developments in the Middle East and exit negotiations, thereby forcing Ukraine to accept even harsher terms.

All signs indicate that Zelenskyy’s revelation signals a convergence of three dynamics: first, maximum U.S. pressure; second, Russia’s high-stakes gamble; third, Europe being left out of the equation. Yielding to U.S. pressure is an unavoidable necessity for him—a way to justify his actions domestically.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860673145987136/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.