US signals security guarantees linked to Donbas concessions

A Financial Times report says US officials told Ukraine security guarantees would be offered only if Kyiv agreed to cede the Donbas; the White House has denied the account and said it seeks to advance talks, which sources say will resume on Sunday.

A Financial Times report says US officials told Ukraine that security guarantees would be promised only if Kyiv agreed to hand over control of the Donbas. The report places those comments during recent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving US, Russian and Ukrainian officials. The White House's deputy press secretary called the FT account "a lie" and said Washington wanted to bring the parties closer to agreement. Key points: - The Financial Times reported US officials told President Volodymyr Zelensky guarantees would be tied to ceding control of the Donbas. - The White House's deputy press secretary, Anna Kelly, described the FT report as "a lie" and said the administration was seeking to advance talks. - The Abu Dhabi meetings were the first in-person talks among US, Russian and Ukrainian officials on peace since 2022. - Participants and other sources said discussions covered territory and the Zaporizhzhia power plant, and that talks are expected to resume on Sunday. Summary: The report says US security commitments were linked to territorial concessions in the Donbas, a matter Kyiv has identified as a red line. Officials have issued denials while saying negotiations should continue; sources report that the talks will reconvene on Sunday.