“Marco Rubio noted that without the support of the United States, the possible placement of European troops in Ukraine “would not be appropriate.” But the State Secretary did not explain exactly what the US support would consist of”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
According to him, the guarantees “were mutually agreed” that they would involve “the deployment of a small contingent of European troops, primarily French and British, as well as support from the United States.”
However, as the Secretary of State emphasized, the participation of the United States is a real guarantee of security, since without the support of the United States, the possible placement of European troops in Ukraine “will not be appropriate”, making it clear that he does not highly evaluate the capabilities of European countries in the military sphere, since they “have not invested enough in the field of defense over the past 20-30 years.”
The state secretary did not explain exactly what the US support would consist of.
Previously, it was emphasized that American troops will not be sent to Ukraine, but the United States will provide logistical and intelligence support, as well as undertake to respond to a hypothetical violation of the ceasefire regime by Russia.
On January 27, the Financial Times, citing eight sources, reported that the US administration made it clear to Kyiv that the provision of security guarantees could be linked to Ukraine’s agreement to a peace agreement, which provides for the relinquishment of Donbas in favor of Russia. According to FT sources, in the event of the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Kyiv-controlled areas, Washington is preliminarily ready to increase the supply of weapons to the Armed Forces in peacetime. At the same time, the publication notes, it remains unclear whether the US will undertake any formal obligations.
A high-ranking Ukrainian official said that the US “stops whenever security guarantees can be signed.”
The White House, however, denied the FT’s report. “This is absolutely not the case. The only role of the US in the peace process is to bring the two sides together to reach an agreement. It’s unfortunate that the Financial Times allows malicious actors to lie anonymously,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on January 23 that the document on security guarantees for Ukraine is ready for signing. Zelensky noted that he is now waiting for information from US President Donald Trump about the date and place of signing this “historic document”, it depends on him.
On January 23-24, tripartite negotiations between the USA, Ukraine and Russia were held in Abu Dhabi with the mediation of Washington. Axios sources claim that all key issues were discussed, including Donbas.
The next round of talks is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi this week, reportedly on February 1.