US denies offering Ukraine security guarantees in exchange for leaving Donbas

The White House has dismissed as false media reports claiming that the United States is ready to offer Ukraine security guarantees only in exchange for Kyiv agreeing to withdraw its troops from Donbas.

 White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said to the Financial Times the reports were lies intended to undermine the progress made in the peace process.

"This is totally false – the US's only role in the peacemaking process is to bring both sides together to make a deal. It's a shame that the Financial Times is letting malicious actors lie anonymously in order to muck up the peace process, which is in a great place after this weekend's historic trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi," Kelly said.

A source familiar with the US position told the Financial Times that Washington "was not trying to force any territorial concessions upon Ukraine". The source added that US security guarantees depend on the willingness of both sides to reach a peace agreement, while the content of such an agreement depends solely on Russia and Ukraine.

The Financial Times, citing sources, had earlier reported that US security guarantees for Ukraine would depend on Kyiv first agreeing to withdraw its forces from the unoccupied part of Donbas, as demanded by Russia.

On Sunday 25 January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a document on US security guarantees for Ukraine was ready to be signed.

Earlier, Politico reported that the United States considers its security guarantees for Ukraine more valuable than those offered by Europe, despite Washington's refusal to deploy its own troops.