U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly disputed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s assertion regarding security guarantees from the United States, which he claims are contingent upon the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas.
Rubio made these remarks during a press briefing following a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France. He stated, “This is not true. I saw how he said it, and it is unfortunate that he did, as he knows it is not true, and he was told something completely different.” He emphasized that security guarantees would only come into effect after the conclusion of the ongoing conflict.
“Security guarantees do not begin until the war is over; otherwise, you are pulling yourself into the war,” Rubio added.
According to Rubio, Zelensky was clearly informed that such guarantees would not be provided until the war ends. He elaborated on the nature of security guarantees, stating, “What is a security guarantee? It is troops ready to intervene and ensure security. If you introduce that now, it means you are intervening in the war. He was clearly told this, and he should have understood that security guarantees are given only after the war ends. This was not related to him having to give up territory. I do not know why he is saying these things. It is simply not true,” Rubio remarked.
Rubio reiterated that the U.S. has communicated to Ukraine the demands put forth by Russia, but he clarified that there has been no discussion regarding territorial concessions from Kyiv.
“We informed the Ukrainian side about what the Russians are insisting on. We do not advocate for this. We explained it to them. The choice remains theirs. It is not for us to decide for them,” he stated.
He further noted that the role of the U.S. is to understand the positions of both parties and explore potential compromises, while the final decision rests solely with Ukraine.
“If they do not want to make certain decisions or concessions, the war will continue. The same applies to the Russian side. If they do not want to make concessions to Ukraine, the war will continue. We will continue to try to facilitate what is possible. If that is not possible, the war will unfortunately continue,” Rubio concluded.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has refuted claims by Ukrainian President Zelensky regarding security guarantees linked to troop withdrawals from Donbas. Rubio emphasized that such guarantees would only be established after the conflict ends, clarifying the U.S. position on territorial concessions.