The United States has set a condition for Ukraine: to receive American security guarantees, Kyiv must agree to a peace settlement with Moscow.
As reported by Hvylya, Reuters disclosed this on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the internal discussions.
U.S. security guarantees are considered a cornerstone of any settlement aimed at ending the four-year Russian invasion of Ukraine. Last weekend in Abu Dhabi, Washington-mediated talks took place between Ukrainian and Russian representatives, which U.S. officials said made progress toward a potential deal.
The Financial Times reported that the Trump administration signaled to Kyiv that American security guarantees are contingent upon Ukraine's consent to a peace deal, which would likely require ceding the Donbas region to Russia.
However, a Reuters source clarified that the U.S. is not dictating the specific content of a peace treaty to Ukraine, adding that claims that Washington is pressuring Kyiv into territorial concessions are misleading.
The next meeting between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators is scheduled for Sunday in Abu Dhabi, possibly with U.S. participation. U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner expressed optimism following the previous round of talks regarding a swift agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that the American document on security guarantees for Ukraine is "100% ready," and Kyiv is now awaiting the time and place for its signing.
Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine's territorial integrity must be preserved in any peace agreement aimed at ending the war.
Meanwhile, Ukraine increasingly doubts Washington's readiness to commit to security guarantees. A senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times that the U.S. "stops every time security guarantees are ready to be signed."
On Monday, the Kremlin stated that the issue of territories remains fundamental to any deal to end hostilities in Ukraine, TASS reported following the Abu Dhabi talks.
