PARIS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assertion that the Trump administration is demanding Kyiv hand over its eastern Donbas region to Russia to receive American security guarantees in any ceasefire plan.
Speaking to reporters following a Group of Seven meeting in France, Rubio disputed Zelenskyy’s recent comments and said the U.S. has made no such stipulation in its talks with Ukraine.
“That’s a lie,” Rubio said. “And I saw him say that. And it’s unfortunate he would say that because he knows that’s not true and that’s not what he was told.”
In an interview published this week, Zelenskyy told Reuters the U.S. was making its offer of security guarantees for Ukraine contingent on the ceding of the Donbas region, the industrial heartland long coveted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow’s forces occupy the bulk of the region, but have not seized a strip of land that is among the most heavily fortified parts of the front line.
Zelenskyy said that with the U.S. focused on its war against Iran, President Donald Trump is looking to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,” Zelenskyy told Reuters.
Rubio denied Zelenskyy’s assertions and said the U.S. had only passed along Russia’s demands. He said security guarantees could only come after the fighting has ended and that the U.S. will keep pushing for a peace deal.
“We’ve told the Ukrainian side what the Russians are insisting on,” he said. “We’re not advocating for it. We’ve explained it to them. It’s their choice to make. It’s not for us to make for them. We’ve never told them they have to take it or leave it. The role we have played is to try to figure out what both sides want, and see if we can bridge the middle ground.”
The Ukrainian presidential office declined to comment on the discrepancy.
Putin wants Kyiv to cede control of the entire Donbas region, which analysts believe would give Moscow a permanent launchpad from which to threaten other parts of Ukraine.
Rubio noted that U.S. talks with the Ukrainians were held last week in Florida but no other meetings are scheduled as of now. He also said that while no U.S. weapons have been pulled from sales bound for Ukraine to go to the Middle East instead, it could happen if deemed necessary.
“If we need something for America and it’s American, we’re going to keep it for America first,” Rubio said. “But as of now, that has not happened.”
The Associated Press has reported that American Patriot air-defense missiles have been moved from Europe toward the Middle East as Washington redirects resources to its war on Iran. Zelenskyy has warned that Kyiv will “definitely” face shortages of Patriot systems because of the war against Iran.
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Klepper reported from Washington.