The White House signaled that security guarantees depend on Ukraine agreeing to give up Donbas, the FT reports

The White House has signaled to Kyiv that U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine depend on Ukraine agreeing to withdraw its armed forces from Donbas, which would make it possible to conclude a peace agreement.

This is reported by the Financial Times, citing eight sources familiar with the negotiations.

“The U.S. believes that to end the war, Kyiv must give up Donbas,” the Financial Times reports, citing its sources.

According to the newspaper, Washington also told the Ukrainian side that in peacetime it is ready to promise additional weapons supplies for the Ukrainian Armed Forces if Ukraine withdraws troops from the Donbas areas it currently controls.

As the Financial Times notes, the U.S. guarantees being discussed could include language similar to NATO’s collective defense article, including a pledge of a coordinated military response in the event of a sustained attack. At the same time, according to one of the newspaper’s interlocutors, officials in Kyiv consider such guarantees too vague.

A senior Ukrainian official told the FT that the issue of guarantees is postponed every time it could be formalized. According to him, Ukraine insists on receiving clear commitments before discussing any territorial concessions.

The White House, however, officially rejected the British newspaper’s report, calling it false, and said such publications undermine the peace process after the recent trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi.

“This is absolutely untrue. The only role the United States has in the peace process is to bring both sides closer together to reach a deal. It’s unfortunate that the Financial Times allows malicious actors to lie anonymously,” said Deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly, whose comment was published by the newspaper.

Recall that, according to Politico, security guarantees for Ukraine became the main stumbling block in the Abu Dhabi talks.