The USA offers Ukraine a way to end the war

“The United States conditioned its offer of security guarantees—necessary to achieve peace in Ukraine—on Kyiv’s surrender of the entire eastern region of the country, Donbas, to Russia,” Zelensky stated. Washington is eager to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift end, particularly in light of the ongoing war with Iran, which demands the full attention of President Donald Trump’s administration. “President Trump, unfortunately in my opinion, continues to choose a strategy of exerting pressure on the Ukrainian side,” Zelensky added.

The Ukrainian side is seeking security guarantees from international partners and assurances that Russia will not resume hostilities in the future. It is worth noting that the Budapest Memorandum, signed in 1994, provided Ukraine with security assurances from the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The parties to that agreement have not honored its provisions.

Despite American pressure on Ukraine to end the war quickly, deliveries of US Patriot missiles to Ukraine continue. The demand for these weapons increased after the outbreak of the war in the Middle East. They remain the only system capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. However, President Zelensky noted that the latest batch of missiles was smaller than what Ukraine requires. The Ukrainian side is making progress in producing its own missiles and drones, which enable strikes on Russian targets inside the country.

The American offer might seem entirely unacceptable to Ukrainians. Interestingly, however, Zelensky did not issue a firm “no,” merely pointing out the American strategy of pressuring Ukraine. As long as the country is capable of continuing military operations, it does not have to agree to such terms for security guarantees. The continuation of the war effort, however, depends on Western support—both American and European.