The Ukrainian president said Washington has offered long-term security assurances as part of peace talks with Russia, though he is pressing for a much longer commitment to deter future aggression.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that the United States has proposed providing Ukraine with security guarantees lasting 15 years as part of a broader peace plan, while emphasizing that he believes a significantly longer commitment is necessary to prevent Russia from attempting further territorial seizures.
Zelenskyy made the remarks after meeting President Donald Trump on Sunday at Trump’s Florida resort, where Trump told reporters that Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to reaching a peace settlement. Despite that assessment, both leaders acknowledged that major obstacles remain unresolved and that the U.S.-led negotiations, which have stretched on for months, could still fail.
“Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end,” Zelenskyy said in voice messages sent to reporters in response to questions submitted through a WhatsApp chat. He added that while the current U.S. proposal envisions 15 years of guarantees, he would prefer assurances lasting up to 50 years to firmly deter Russia from renewed military action.
Negotiators continue to struggle over core issues, including the withdrawal of forces, control over territory, and the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the 10 largest nuclear facilities in the world. Trump noted that disagreements on these points remain significant and could derail the talks.
Ukraine has been in conflict with Russia since 2014, when Moscow illegally annexed Crimea and Russian-backed separatists launched an armed uprising in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Zelenskyy said the proposed security guarantees address how any peace agreement would be monitored and include the “presence” of partner countries, though he did not provide details. Russia has previously stated it would not accept the deployment of troops from NATO countries on Ukrainian territory.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump are expected to speak in the near future, but there was no indication that Putin would hold talks with Zelenskyy.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Ukraine’s allies are expected to meet in Paris in early January to “finalize each country’s concrete contributions” to the proposed security guarantees.
According to Zelenskyy, Trump has indicated he would consider extending U.S. security guarantees beyond the initial 15-year framework. Any such guarantees would require approval by the U.S. Congress, as well as by the parliaments of other countries involved in overseeing a settlement.
Zelenskyy also said he wants the proposed 20-point peace plan to be approved by Ukrainian voters in a national referendum. However, he noted that holding such a vote would require a ceasefire lasting at least 60 days, and Russia has shown no willingness to agree to a truce without a comprehensive settlement in place.
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