Zelenskyy: US offered security guarantees in exchange for territories, but guarantees must come first

2026-02-16 - 19:55

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed Monday that Washington has urged Kyiv to relinquish claims to territories occupied by Russia in exchange for security guarantees, but insisted such guarantees must be secured before any territorial concessions. "Our American friends are preparing security guarantees. But they said: first this exchange of territories, or something like that, and then security guarantees. I believe security guarantees must come first," Zelenskyy stated. Compromise Without Surrender Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine remains open to compromise, clarifying this does not equate to ceding territory. "What compromise are we willing to make? Not one that will give Russia the opportunity to quickly recover and come again and occupy us," he explained, signaling readiness for diplomatic solutions that do not undermine Ukraine's defensive position or enable future aggression. His remarks reflect Kyiv's insistence that any negotiated outcome must ensure durable security rather than temporary respite. Budapest Memorandum Precedent and Lessons Learned The Ukrainian leader invoked the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which Kyiv relinquished Soviet nuclear weapons deployed on its territory in exchange for security assurances from Russia, the US, and the UK. "We gave up our nuclear and other weapons... and received guarantees of security, sovereignty and independence. In the end, we have none of those weapons, and we have no security guarantees. No one protected our independence," he said, highlighting the accord's failure. Zelenskyy noted any new guarantees would require congressional approval, adding: "We can sign a document with leaders on security guarantees for Ukraine. This is a strong signal... And then you can talk to the Ukrainians about what they are ready for."