US Official Disputes Zelenskyy’s Claim That Security Guarantees Linked to Ukraine Ceding Donbas

In a March 25 interview, the Ukrainian president said the U.S. was ready to provide security guarantees ‘once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas.’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks as he visits the production facility of drone producing company Quantum Frontline Industries in Gilching near Munich, Germany, on Feb. 13, 2026. Alexandra Beier/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—A U.S. official has pushed back after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine are contingent on Kyiv ceding control of the Donbas region to Russia.

While Zelenskyy has been adamant that his country should have assurances of protection against future attacks, he has been reluctant to relinquish territory as a precondition to ending the ongoing conflict with Russia, now in its fifth year.