Zelensky says US ties security guarantees to Ukraine leaving Donbas

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States is conditioning future security guarantees for Ukraine on the country giving up its claim to the Donbas region. He described this as a form of pressure, stating the U.S. position is that Ukraine should withdraw from the contested eastern territory.

Zelensky made the comments in an interview, arguing that international pressure on Russia over the war is insufficient. The reported U.S. stance involves offering Ukraine a security agreement similar to Israel's, but only if it cedes Donbas. President Donald Trump was also widely cited in the coverage, stating that the Ukraine conflict is not a war for the United States to fight.