Trump's official ties signing of guarantees for Ukraine to territorial issue in talks
Matthew Whitaker (Photo: OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA)

The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, linked the fact that Ukraine and America have not yet signed an agreement on security guarantees, with the unresolved the issue of territories in the negotiations. The diplomat said this during an online briefing, Ukrinform reports.

"Obviously, the negotiations are ongoing. They are detailed and very productive. There has been prisoner exchange, 314 people on each side (in fact, there were 157 on each side. – Ed.)," Mr. Whitaker said.

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The diplomat was asked why no security guarantees had been signed, while the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy declares about their 100% readiness.

To this, Whitaker recalled the words of the US president's special envoy Steve Witkoff that the talks are currently limited to the territorial issue. The ambassador noted that this is the answer.

According to him, when a treaty or agreement is concluded, "there is a timing for everything," and he believes that the presidents of Ukraine and the United States will sign the documents "when it is appropriate, in the process of reaching a peace agreement." The diplomat also believes that the parties are now closer to peace than ever before.

"I think we should continue to pray for peace, but at the same time we need to make sure that Ukraine still has everything it needs to defend itself through PURL and other initiatives," the diplomat said.

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  • One of the main demands of the Russian Federation is the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Ukrainian Donbas. Kyiv refuses from this, as well as opposes recognition of its territories as Russian.
  • In addition to security guarantees, Ukraine and the United States plan to sign a document on reconstruction.
  • An interlocutor in the US Parliament said LIGA.net that in the Congress they are not in the know what kind of security guarantees Trump's administration is willing to provide to Ukraine. This was also confirmed by the head of the Rada's Committee on European Integration, Klympush-Tsintsadze.
  • Moore, a lawyer and former congressional consultant, explained LIGA.net that the main aspect of the US guarantees for Ukraine will not be their text, but the availability of annual funding, otherwise the support will have to be fought for.