Rubio accuses Zelenskyy of lying about conditions for security guarantees

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the United States has not made the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from all of Donbas a condition for security guarantees and that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's claim to that effect is false.

Source: Rubio speaking to journalists before departing from France, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Rubio was asked about Zelenskyy's statement that the US has offered Kyiv security guarantees in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the non-occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

The US secretary of state said the Ukrainian president's remarks were untrue and that he was sorry to hear such statements.

"That's a lie, and I saw him say that, and it's unfortunate he would say that because he knows that's not true and that's not what he was told," Rubio said.

He stated that the US had told Zelenskyy "the obvious" – that security guarantees cannot come into force until the hostilities end.

Quote: "And what is a security guarantee? It is troops that are willing to step in and secure. If you put that in place now, that means you're injecting yourself in the war. What he was told very clearly, and he should have understood it, is that the security guarantees come only after there is an end to the war. But that was not attached to 'unless he gives up territory'."

Details: Rubio also said the US had merely conveyed Russian demands to the Ukrainian side and had not advocated territorial concessions by Kyiv.

"We've told the Ukrainian side what the Russians are insisting on. We're not advocating for it … It's their choice to make. It's not for us to make for them. We've never told them they have to take it or leave it," he stressed.

He added that the final decision rests with Ukraine, but if Kyiv does not make any decisions or concessions, the war will continue.

Quote: "The role we have played is to try to figure out what both sides want and see if we can bridge the middle ground. The decision ultimately is up to Ukraine. If they don't want to make certain decisions and certain concessions, then the war keeps going."

Background:

• Zelenskyy said earlier that the US's offer of security guarantees is conditional on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the non-occupied part of Donbas.
• In January, the Financial Times reported that US security guarantees for Ukraine would depend on Kyiv agreeing to withdraw its troops from the non-occupied part of Donbas.
• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently said that during discussions on future security guarantees, any decisions regarding territory must be made by Ukraine itself.

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