President Volodymyr Zelenskyy maintains that he has only revealed the tip of the iceberg with regard to US representatives' statements that America is prepared to provide Ukraine with security guarantees only after Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donbas.

Source: Zelenskyy during a video call with journalists on 28 March, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Most of the iceberg is not visible, but believe me, I showed only the tip of it. I am being absolutely honest...

There are different ways of looking at this, but all the signals throughout the whole negotiation process indicate – and this is not just my analysis, it sounds absolutely correct – that we will be able to obtain security guarantees from the United States not before a ceasefire, not before the end of the war, but after our troops withdraw from Donbas."

Details: Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine wants to sign an agreement on security guarantees before the war ends, along with a recovery package. The guarantees would take effect after a vote in the US Congress, and Congress would only vote after the war is over.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "But even so, we were told that the issue is not when this comes into force, but when these guarantees are provided to us. And these guarantees are given to us only after we leave Donbas. And as of today, that is the condition for ending the war."

More details: Zelenskyy said the risk of Russia launching further aggression is fairly high, which is why Ukraine needs security guarantees.

However, he denied reports suggesting that the US is putting pressure on Ukraine.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "It may simply have been perceived as if the Americans are supposedly pressuring us to withdraw, and only then would they provide guarantees. But I am not saying they are pressuring us. And I have never said that, either publicly or otherwise."

Background:

• Zelenskyy said in an interview with Reuters on 25 March that the US is offering Ukraine security guarantees in return for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the unoccupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
• On 27 March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US has not made security guarantees conditional on the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the whole of Donbas, and that Zelenskyy's statement to that effect is a lie.

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