Western countries have already agreed on the main parameters of security guarantees for Ukraine, without Russia's participation. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this upon his arrival at the meeting of the European Political Community in Dublin.
“Practically everything has already been done. The most difficult part remains – peace and a ceasefire,” Rutte said, quoted by the Associated Press. According to him, European countries and the United States reached a common understanding during a meeting in Paris in January and outlined what the guarantees for Kyiv should look like.
What the Agreed Framework Includes
Rutte said that European countries and Turkey should participate in the future guarantees, with American military capabilities also being used. He did not provide details about the specific forces or mechanisms that would be involved, and declined to comment on whether Europe's security architecture should be changed as part of a settlement to the war.
The Paris declaration of January 6 envisages political and legally binding commitments that would take effect after a ceasefire. The elements listed include a US-led mechanism for monitoring the truce, continued military aid for the Ukrainian army, multinational forces and support in the event of a possible future Russian attack.
Talks in Abu Dhabi Fail to Produce a Truce
Rutte's statement came after two days of talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi. They ended without a significant breakthrough on the issues of a ceasefire and territorial disputes. US envoy Jared Kushner said that the parties had reached agreement on many of the principles, but differences remained over how peace should be achieved.
A preliminary agreement in principle on a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war was announced as a concrete result, without specifying the exact number of participants. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin told US envoys that any deployment of European troops in Ukraine after a ceasefire would be unacceptable to Moscow and would be viewed as a threat.
Europe's Position Remains Under Discussion
In a joint statement following the meeting in Abu Dhabi, the European Union, Ukraine, the United States, NATO and European partners backed credible security guarantees, but described the framework as still being under development. The document refers to a practical and mutually reinforcing system that would form part of a future agreement, rather than an ultimately signed treaty.
The leaders of more than 40 European countries, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, are participating in Dublin. He is expected to discuss the results of the talks in Abu Dhabi with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Sources: apnews.com, euronews.com