Ukraine’s Zelenskyy demands firm US guarantees, not promises

Shafaq News – Kyiv

US security guarantees should be legally binding commitments approved by Congress, rather than what “empty promises,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that “some Europeans” are not fully confident in Washington’s ability to lead negotiations with Russia.

In comments to reporters, Zelenskyy said US President Donald Trump is serious about ending the war, and noted that Kyiv needs $800M this year to fund its purchases of American weapons.

Several European leaders expressed support for Zelenskyy while voicing concerns over parts of a US proposal to end the conflict with Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Zelensky for nearly two hours.

Merz said he had “doubts” about “some details we see in documents coming from the United States,” while Macron said the key issue is “bringing our common positions closer — between Europeans, Ukrainians, and the United States.”

Earlier, a senior Ukrainian official told Agence France-Presse that territorial questions remain “the most difficult,” noting that Moscow is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from areas Kyiv still controls. He said Russia seeks full control of the Donbas region, a demand Ukraine has repeatedly rejected.