American Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday of lying when he claimed that the United States conditions security guarantees granted to Ukraine on territorial concessions in favor of Russia.
Rubio called Zelensky’s statements about withdrawing troops from Donbas „a lie.”
American Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington has never asked Ukraine to withdraw its troops from Donbas in exchange for security guarantees.
"It's a lie. And I saw him saying that - it's regrettable because he knows it's not true," Rubio stated.
According to him, Ukrainian officials were told something else: "Security guarantees will not take effect until the end of the war," the American Secretary of State specified.
He emphasized that this was not linked to any requirement to cede territory. "It was not conditioned on a provision like 'unless they cede territory.' I don't know why he's saying these things. It's simply not true," Rubio added.
Previously, Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the US was ready to offer security guarantees only if Ukrainian forces withdrew from Donbas. He stated in an interview with Axios that Ukrainians will not accept a peace agreement that involves Ukraine's unilateral withdrawal from Donbas and its surrender to Russia.
Rubio also said that the United States does not rule out diverting arms shipments intended for Ukraine to meet its needs in the war against Iran, while also downplaying Russia's impact in the Middle East conflict.
"Nothing has been diverted yet, but it could happen," stated the American Secretary of State, as reported by CNN.
"If we need something for America, and that something is American, we will keep it first for America," he added.