(The Hill) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a “constructive” conversation on Thursday with a U.S. team that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, amid a renewed push to end the war with Russia.
Zelensky said in a statement that the discussion focused on security guarantees, which he described as “among the most critical elements for all subsequent steps.”
He noted “everyone remembers” the “negative experience of the Budapest Memorandum,” which failed to provide firm enough security guarantees in 1994 to stave off a Russian invasion years later.
“That is why it is essential that this document on security guarantees provides concrete answers to what concerns Ukrainians the most: what actions partners will take if Russia decides to launch its aggression again,” Zelensky said Thursday in a statement, which included photos of a video conference with the officials.
“It was agreed that the teams will work actively to ensure that, in the near future, there will be a clear understanding of the security guarantees,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky thanked the U.S. for its “active engagement,” saying, “not only in working to end the war, but also in ensuring Ukraine’s security and preventing a new Russian invasion.”
“This reflects the seriousness of America’s intentions and its clear focus on achieving outcomes,” Zelensky said.
The discussion also included top U.S. generals and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Zelensky has said he is working on a revised peace proposal that he plans to deliver to the U.S. soon, saying Wednesday he held a “productive” conversation on post-war reconstruction and economic development with a U.S. team that included Kushner, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.
The discussions come as Trump has turned up the pressure on the Ukrainian president to agree to a U.S.-authored plan to end the war with Russia. An initial version of the plan heavily favored Moscow’s demands, but a revised version — hammered out in talks between American and Ukrainian negotiators — was rejected by Russian President Vladimir Putin in talks last week.
Still, Trump has focused his latest pressure campaign on Zelensky, who has doubled down on his refusal to cede Ukrainian territory as part of a deal.
Zelensky has huddled with European leaders in recent days to edit a proposal drafted by Trump’s top envoys following the meeting with Putin in Moscow. European leaders have privately worried that the U.S. would “betray” Ukraine in the peace negotiations, according to leaked conversations reported by German outlet Spiegel.