The United States is ready to help Ukraine with security guarantees, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, calling the provision of them a necessary factor in achieving an end to the conflict.
“I think we are very close to a deal with Russia... we were very close to a deal with Ukraine,“ he added. According to the American leader, with the exception of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, “these people really like the concept of a deal“.
Trump noted that reaching an agreement is not easy, including due to territorial issues, but the United States wants to see an end to the fighting and “stop the killing“.
Politico reported that negotiations on guarantees for Ukraine have become “awkward“.
Trump stated that the United States is not involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in any way, except in negotiations, but noted that Washington sells weapons to NATO countries, which are subsequently received by Kiev.
Trump also suggested that US representatives participate in a meeting with representatives of Europe and Ukraine if there is a strong chance of a peace agreement. The talks will be held in Paris on December 13.
On December 11, Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian and American delegations had discussed providing security guarantees to Kiev after the end of the conflict. The talks were attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, US Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law and adviser to US President Donald Trump. The Ukrainian president did not provide details, noting only that a clear understanding of the guarantees would emerge “in the near future“.
Guarantees for Ukraine are included in the US peace plan. As ZN.ua reported, the 20-point document promises Kiev guarantees similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. In the event of an attack on Ukraine, Russia faces a “strong military response“ and the re-imposition of all sanctions. If Ukraine attacks Russia, it will lose all its guarantees.
The countries of the “coalition of the willing” are also working on guarantees.
In an interview with India Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that each country has the right to choose its own means of defense and ensure its own security. “Are we denying this to Ukraine? No. But this should not be at the expense of Russia’s security,” he said. According to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, guarantees for Ukraine must be reliable and developed on the basis of the principle of the indivisibility of security for its neighbors.