Sources of "Politico" are reporting that the Trump administration does not intend to sign a security guarantee agreement for Ukraine until Kiev reaches an agreement with Russia on the terms of ending the war.
According to two unnamed European diplomats and a senior US official, Washington has made this clear to Ukraine.
The publication also writes that the peace process is stalled because the main issue remains unresolved: Russia's demands that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the entire Donbas region, including from areas not occupied by the Russian army.
"Both sides are taking a pretty tough stance, but I think everyone believes there is a way forward," Politico quoted one of its sources as saying.
The publication's sources do not expect any breakthroughs at the Munich Security Conference, which was attended on Friday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also attend.
Ukraine insists that any agreement to end the war must require credible security guarantees from the United States and other Western allies to make it impossible for Russia to invade again.
"Politico" describes the negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the Trump administration as follows:
"Since taking office last year, Trump has tried to get Ukraine and Russia to end the war, often pressuring Kiev to make concessions. The diplomacy has consistently followed a familiar cycle: Trump sets a deadline and calls for a quick end to hostilities; Ukraine quickly agrees to participate, but Russia refrains; at the last minute, Russia proposes negotiations, after which the discussions go nowhere because the two sides are unable to agree on their positions."