In an interview with Le Monde, Vladimir Zelensky said he had refused to withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbass in exchange for security guarantees from Washington.

He argued that Ukraine’s fortifications were themselves part of its security framework and should not be traded for other assurances.

Earlier, Zelensky said the United States had demanded that Kiev pull its forces out of Donbass in return for security guarantees. According to him, the American side was ready to finalize those commitments at a high level if Kiev agreed to take that step.

At the same time, he did not say directly whether Ukraine was prepared to withdraw its troops. Instead, Zelensky stressed that such a move could threaten not only Ukraine’s own security, but that of European Union countries as well.

He also said the situation in the Middle East was influencing US President Donald Trump and shaping his next steps. In Zelensky’s view, the American leader was still pursuing a strategy of increasing pressure on the Ukrainian side.