Zelensky commented on Rubio's statement about the alleged lies of the Ukrainian president

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reacted sharply during an online conversation with the press to a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who the previous day accused him of "lying" about pressure from Washington. The head of state emphasised that he had never claimed any pressure from the US and noted that only a part of the real diplomatic picture is voiced in public.

As they say, the biggest part of the iceberg is not visible. Believe me, I have shown the smaller part. I am speaking with absolute frankness. You can formulate it in different ways," Zelensky said in response to a journalist's question.

The president explained what the negotiation process looks like and what signals Ukraine receives from its partners. According to him, Russia puts forward an ultimatum demand - the end of the war is possible only after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the entire territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At the same time, as Zelenskyy noted, the US side makes it clear that Ukraine will be able to receive security guarantees only after the war is over.

All the signals that have been received during the negotiation process say directly: security guarantees from the USA are possible not before the ceasefire and not before the end of the war, but after our troops withdraw from Donbas, which is seen as a condition for the end of the war," the president stressed.

Zelensky recalled that Ukraine insists on signing an agreement on security guarantees before the end of the war and discussed this issue with the current US President Donald Trump. According to him, the relevant agreements were almost ready, but the US side proposed to postpone their signing until the end of hostilities.

We want to sign guarantees before the end of the war, like the Prosperity Package. But we were told: no, it will be done only when the war is over," he said, adding that Washington does not focus on the moment when the guarantees come into force, but on the moment when they are provided to Ukraine.

The president also stressed that Ukraine already now has its own security guarantees - the Armed Forces, domestic production of weapons, support from European partners and US aid programmes. He noted that Kyiv does not intend to give up these factors even after the end of the war, as the risk of new aggression remains high.

I have not lied to anyone about anything. I don't have such a tradition. Perhaps it was perceived as if the Americans are pressurising us to leave. I am not saying that they are pressurising us, and I have never said that," Zelensky said.

He added that he remembered well Russia's ultimatums from the beginning of the full-scale invasion and stressed that their essence had not changed. In his opinion, it is important for Ukraine to remain resilient, continue dialogue and mirror Russia's actions both on the battlefield and in diplomacy.

We shall remind you that earlier on 27 March, Marco Rubio denied Zelenskyy's statements about the alleged US demands to withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbas in exchange for security guarantees and called such statements "lies".