Klimkin Explains Zelensky's Statements on US Security Guarantees

Pavlo Klimkin, who served as Ukraine's Foreign Minister from 2014 to 2019, appeared on Radio NV to clarify why President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that the United States will guarantee Ukraine's security only after Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donbas. Klimkin explained that the president aims to publicly demonstrate the pressure from American officials, as it is easier to express this in the media than during confidential negotiations.

"I think he wants to highlight the pressure from the Americans. It is easier to showcase it publicly and in the media than to endure it during confidential negotiations," Klimkin stated while discussing the situation on Radio NV.

The former foreign minister also noted that the proposed U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine "look quite good in principle," although they do not entirely match the guarantees provided to countries like Japan or South Korea. Klimkin believes that the U.S. is "almost indifferent" about where the line of demarcation will be drawn if it helps achieve an agreement and reset relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If to obtain this agreement and reset relations with Putin—both in business and political terms, as well as in terms of maneuvering regarding China and strategic weapons—some part of Donbas needs to be 'freed up,' I say this cynically, for Putin, they will push for it," Klimkin explained, adding that negotiators know how to conduct business negotiations and reach real agreements.

Klimkin also expressed the opinion that if U.S. President Donald Trump is forced to end the war against Iran "without a knockout and even without a knockdown," he will exert one or more waves of pressure on Ukraine. "Therefore, I think that waves of pressure on us will still come, and this is one of the reasons why Volodymyr Zelensky publicly speaks about this pressure. In my view, this is one explanation for this logic," the former foreign minister concluded.

In an interview with Reuters published on March 25, President Zelensky indicated that the United States agreed to provide Ukraine with security guarantees on the condition that the Defense Forces withdraw from Donbas. This statement sparked mixed reactions within the international community.

On March 27, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio refuted the Ukrainian president's remarks, stating that the demand for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from Donbas in exchange for security guarantees is "a lie." He emphasized that Washington has not imposed such conditions and has not demanded territorial concessions from Ukraine, asserting that security guarantees can only be offered after the war concludes.

On March 28, the Ukrainian leader responded by stating that the U.S. is considering providing security guarantees to Ukraine only after the war ends, specifically contingent on the withdrawal of troops from Donbas, but denied that it constitutes direct pressure from their side.

On March 31, Zelensky also noted that Russia is making demands for Ukraine to withdraw from the parts of Donbas under its control, claiming that "then the war will end." He warned that if Ukraine does not withdraw within two months, Russia will seize Donbas, leading to "other conditions" being imposed.

In response to these statements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Moscow had not set any deadlines for Ukraine regarding the withdrawal of troops from Donbas. However, he emphasized that Ukrainian forces need to withdraw from Donbas "today, and it would have been better to do it yesterday."

Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine's position on territorial issues has not changed. Kyiv will not agree to cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to Russia. Specifically, in an interview with Corriere Della Sera published on March 3, he stated that Ukraine will not abandon Donbas and its 200,000 residents, as retreating would open the way for Russia to the center of the country and would not halt further demands from the Kremlin.