The US will give Ukraine 15 years of security guarantees in a peace deal with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has disclosed as peace negotiations intensify.
The country's four years of martial law will also be lifted “at the moment when Ukraine obtains” the security undertakings, the Ukrainian leader also told journalists on Monday following talks with the US President Donald Trump.
The US leader suggested that they were “95 per cent” of the way to agreeing on the security issue, while suggesting that he expected European countries to “take over a big part”, meaning there is a possibility the conflict could end in the new year. But of primary importance to Ukraine is the security guarantee that will ensure Russia does not invade the country again following a ceasefire.
Communicating with reporters via a WhatsApp chat, Mr Zelenskyy disclosed that he had asked Mr Trump to provide guarantees for up to 50 years, but that 15 years had been agreed.
“Without security guarantees, this war cannot be considered truly over,” he added. “We cannot acknowledge that it has ended, because with such a neighbour there remains a risk of renewed aggression.”
Counter-proposals
A flurry of diplomatic activity occurred over the weekend, with Mr Zelenskyy flying into the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for talks with Mr Trump and his team.
Just before his arrival, Mr Trump held a lengthy phone call with President Vladimir Putin and later stated that both countries wanted to end the war. “I do think we have the makings of a deal. We have two willing countries. We are in the final stages of talking.”
The main sticking point remains Mr Putin’s demand for Ukraine to surrender its fortress belt in the Donbas, an area that his military has been unable to capture, while suffering heavy losses. Mr Zelenskyy’s counter-proposal has been for a demilitarised zone, with both sides withdrawing from the line of contact.
But earlier, Mr Putin had struck a more belligerent tone, saying: “If the authorities in Kyiv don't want to settle this business peacefully, we'll resolve all the problems before us by military means.”
European allies remain cautious over Moscow’s intentions, particularly after a Russian missile barrage struck Kyiv just as Mr Zelenskyy travelled to the US. Asked if Mr Putin was acting in good faith, Mr Trump responded: “He’s very serious.”
The renewed diplomacy underscores mounting pressure on the US and European powers to end the conflict, which has upended global commodity markets, strained defence spending and clouded Europe's economic outlook.
Paris summit
The French President Emmanuel Macron also announced on Monday that European powers will meet in Paris in January “to finalise each one's concrete contributions”, he wrote on X.
Downing Street disclosed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had also spoken with the US President and had “underlined the importance of robust security guarantees and reaffirmed the urgency of ending this barbaric war as soon as possible”. Mr Starmer also emphasised the need to “sustain momentum in the coming days”.
But with Mr Trump apparently unwilling to pressure Russia to end the war, there remain questions over the likelihood of a ceasefire.
“The fundamental flaw in the current diplomatic push is the absence of the aggressor at the negotiating table,” said Yuriy Boyechko, the founder of the charity Hope for Ukraine. “Peace is not achieved by one side agreeing to terms with a third party.”
