The United States is making its offer of security guarantees for a peace deal conditional on Ukraine ceding to Russia the entire Donbas region, even territory Moscow has not been able to conquer in 12 years of war, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He told Reuters in an interview that Washington is increasing pressure on Kyiv as it seeks a quick end to the war, even as the US remains focused on tensions in the Middle East.
“The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump... President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, still chooses a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side,” Zelensky said.
The US, Russia, and Ukraine have held three rounds of high-level talks this year in Abu Dhabi and Geneva aimed at ending the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Zelensky stressed that robust security guarantees remain essential to prevent renewed Russian aggression after any settlement. Key questions remain unresolved, including who would fund Ukraine’s defense and how allies would respond in the event of a future attack.
“The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,” Zelensky said, adding he understands the “subtleties” of the US position.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded full control of the Donbas – an area comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – as a core war aim, though analysts say capturing the remaining Ukrainian-held areas would certainly take significant time and manpower.
Zelensky warned that withdrawing from the region would hand Russia strong defensive positions and weaken both Ukraine and Europe.
“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.
Talks have also been affected by the conflict with Iran, with a fourth round of negotiations postponed. Zelensky suggested that only a direct summit involving himself, Trump, and Putin could resolve the remaining issues.
At the same time, he acknowledged the risk that Washington could lose interest if negotiations stall.
Zelensky also addressed his relationship with Trump, downplaying past tensions.
“I am not a box of chocolates or a car, to be liked or disliked,” he said.
“In my opinion, the president of the United States looks at this more pragmatically, and he probably wants the war to end quickly. We also want to do so quickly,” Zelensky added.
Despite concerns that US military aid could be diverted due to the Middle East, Zelensky said deliveries of Patriot air defense systems have continued.
“Deliveries to us were not stopped… but this supply is not as large as we need,” he said, noting he is grateful to Trump and to his team.
Zelensky added that Ukraine is ramping up domestic production of long-range missiles and drones, enabling deeper strikes inside Russia in response to ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities.