Zelenskyy Reveals US Demands Ceding Donbas for Security Guarantees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed in a Reuters interview published on March 25, 2026, that the United States has conditioned its offer of security guarantees for a peace agreement on Ukraine ceding the entire Donbas region — encompassing both Donetsk and Luhansk — to Russia. Zelenskyy stated that Washington is pressing Kyiv to accept this condition as the price of American protection. The disclosure marks the first time Zelenskyy has publicly confirmed the territorial dimension of the U.S. security guarantee offer. He warned that surrendering the Donbas would hand Russia strategic defensive positions and compromise the security of Ukraine and, by extension, Europe as a whole. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the sources reporting on the interview.

„The Americans are ready to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas.” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy via Reuters

„The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump and, I believe, on his next steps. President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, continues to favor a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side.” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy via Reuters

Fortified Belt and open security questions at stake Zelenskyy argued that the eastern part of Ukraine contains what he described as a strategic asset for the country's defense. The region includes a so-called Fortified Belt — a chain of heavily fortified cities and expanded defensive positions that Ukrainian forces have built over years of conflict. Military analysts cited in the source articles estimated that Russia capturing the roughly 6,000 square kilometers of Donbas still outside its control could take several years and require an enormous deployment of troops. Zelenskyy stressed that ceding this belt would mean handing Moscow a decisive strategic advantage, not only against Ukraine but against the broader European security architecture. Two fundamental issues remain unresolved on the security guarantee document, according to Zelenskyy: who would finance the purchase of Ukrainian weapons to maintain credible military deterrence, and how allies would concretely respond to any future Russian aggression. He stated that a three-way summit involving himself, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin remains the only path to resolving disputes over both territory and guarantees.

Security guarantee negotiations — key moments: — ; — ; —

Iran war reshaping Trump's Ukraine calculus, Zelenskyy says Zelenskyy attributed the intensifying American pressure directly to the U.S. conflict with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, with the launch of Operation Epic Fury. He said on Sunday, in a separate BBC interview cited in the source articles, that diplomatic trilateral meetings between the parties had been constantly postponed for one reason: the war in Iran. Zelenskyy warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin stood to benefit from a prolonged U.S. engagement in the Middle East, saying Putin "will want a long war" in Iran. CNN reported over the weekend, according to the source articles, that Russian forces had launched a spring offensive in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian army and analysts saying the attack was beginning to gain momentum. In the Donetsk portion of the Donbas, Ukrainian forces still controlled just under a quarter of the territory as of the time of reporting. Russia, meanwhile, has conditioned any peace on Ukraine ceding eastern territories it has not yet fully occupied, and Moscow is betting, according to Zelenskyy, that Washington will eventually lose interest and withdraw from negotiations altogether.

The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014 with Russia's annexation of Crimea and its intervention in the Donbas. A full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The Donbas — comprising Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts — has been a central theater of the conflict since its earliest stages, with Russia formally annexing both regions in September 2022, though Ukrainian forces retained control of significant portions of each. Security guarantees for Ukraine in any eventual peace settlement have been a persistent point of contention, with Kyiv insisting that robust international commitments are necessary to prevent a future Russian attack.

Russia accused of intelligence blackmail, Patriot supplies continue Zelenskyy also leveled a serious accusation against Moscow, citing Ukrainian intelligence reports. He said Russia was offering to stop transmitting confidential information to Iran in exchange for the United States halting its intelligence sharing with Ukraine — a practice he characterized as blackmail.

„I have reports from our intelligence services that show that Russia is saying: 'I am not going to transmit confidential information to Iran if America stops transmitting confidential information to Ukraine. Isn't that blackmail?'” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy via Reuters

On the military supply front, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude that U.S. deliveries of Patriot air defense missiles had continued despite rising demand linked to the conflict in the Gulf. He noted, however, that the volume of deliveries fell short of Ukraine's needs.

„Deliveries have not been stopped. I am very grateful to President Trump and his team. But this supply of Patriot missiles is not as important as we need.” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy via Reuters

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine was making progress in developing its own long-range missiles and drones, enabling Ukrainian forces to strike targets deep inside Russia in retaliation for bombardments of Ukrainian cities. Russia continued to advance slowly in eastern Ukraine, and Zelenskyy acknowledged that Moscow was counting on American disengagement to consolidate its gains at the negotiating table rather than solely on the battlefield.