Ukraine-Russia war latest: Rubio denies Zelensky’s claim that Trump wants Kyiv to give up land to Moscow
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s assertion that the Trump administration is demanding Kyiv hand over its eastern Donbas region to Russia to receive American security guarantees in any ceasefire plan.
Rubio told reporters on Friday: “That’s a lie. And I saw him say that. And it’s unfortunate he would say that because he knows that’s not true and that’s not what he was told.”
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said Russia will fight on until it captures the remaining areas of the Donbas region not under its control, reported the Financial Times.
People familiar with the matter said Putin has asked oligarchs to donate to the country’s budget in a bid to stabilise the country’s finances.
It comes as Trump suggested the US could divert weapons from Ukraine to the Middle East – despite Zelensky’s urging Europe not to allow Putin to take advantage of the escalating Iranian crisis.
The US president said: “You know, we have tremendous amounts of ammunition. We have them in other countries… sometimes we take from one and we use for another.”
