US denies ultimatum demanding territorial concessions from Ukraine

Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated that the Financial Times (FT) report claiming the US issued an ultimatum to Ukraine demanding territorial concessions is false.

“This is totally false – the US’s only role in the peacemaking process is to bring both sides together to make a deal,” Kelly told FT.

Kelly emphasised that the United States has not set such conditions for Kyiv and rejected the publication’s claims. 

A source familiar with the US stance told the newspaper that Washington was “not trying to force any territorial concessions upon Ukraine,” emphasising that security guarantees require mutual agreement on a peace deal.

Earlier reports suggested that US security guarantees for Ukraine were contingent on a peace agreement that might include territorial concessions.

According to the Financial Times, the Trump administration indicated to Ukraine that US security guarantees hinge on Kyiv accepting a peace deal that would likely involve ceding the Donbas region to Russia.

The newspaper noted that Washington has also suggested it might provide Ukraine with additional weapons to bolster its peacetime army if Kyiv agrees to pull back forces from the areas of the eastern region it currently holds.

By Jeyhun Aghazada