KYIV, Ukraine — In advance of ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, the United States has presented a security guarantee lasting 15 years to the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed this offer on Monday and expressed his preference for a more prolonged commitment of up to 50 years, emphasizing that such an extension would serve as a stronger deterrent against Russia’s continued attempts to forcibly seize Ukrainian territory.
President Zelenskyy’s comments followed his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at Trump’s Florida resort on Sunday. During the meeting, Trump conveyed optimism, stating that Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to reaching a peace arrangement. Despite this, negotiators remain entrenched on key contentious matters, notably the withdrawal of military forces and the unresolved situation surrounding the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the largest nuclear facilities worldwide. Trump also cautioned that the protracted U.S.-led negotiation efforts might still falter.
Addressing the necessity of security assurances, Zelenskyy remarked in voice messages responding to journalists via a Whatsapp chat, “Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end.”
The conflict originated in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea unlawfully and backed separatists who took up arms in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, a key industrial hub. The war has persisted since then, impacting regional stability and global economic sectors tied to resources and industry.
Details concerning the specific terms of the security guarantees remain undisclosed to the public. However, Zelenskyy indicated that the offer includes mechanisms for monitoring the peace deal and provisions for the “presence” of international partners. He refrained from elaborating, while Russia has publicly opposed the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil as part of any peace framework.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that President Vladimir Putin and President Trump are expected to engage in discussions soon, but no direct communication between Putin and Zelenskyy is currently anticipated. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine’s allies plan to convene in Paris in early January to finalize the concrete commitments each country will make to uphold the security guarantees.
President Trump has expressed openness to extending the U.S. security pledge beyond the initial 15 years, according to Zelenskyy. The proposed guarantees would require approval by the U.S. Congress as well as by the legislative bodies of other participating nations tasked with overseeing the peace settlement’s implementation.
Zelenskyy also expressed his intention to subject the 20-point peace plan currently under negotiation to Ukrainian citizens through a national referendum. Conducting such a vote, however, necessitates a ceasefire lasting a minimum of 60 days—a condition that remains unmet as Moscow has not shown any readiness to suspend hostilities without a full resolution to the conflict.
The evolving situation leaves considerable uncertainty concerning the timeline and viability of a durable peace accord, as well as the extent of international involvement in Ukraine’s security environment moving forward.