The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday. Zelensky would prefer a commitment of up to 50 years to deter further Russian aggression.
US-Led Negotiations
US President Donald Trump hosted Zelensky at his Florida resort on Sunday, stating that Ukraine and Russia were “closer than ever before” to a peace settlement. However, Trump noted the months-long US-led negotiations could still collapse.
“Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end,” Zelensky told reporters.
Ongoing Conflict & Security Details
Ukraine has been fighting Russia since 2014, when Moscow illegally annexed Crimea and Kremlin-backed separatists took up arms in the Donbas region. Details of the security guarantees have not been made public, but Zelensky said they include monitoring of any peace deal and the “presence” of partner nations.
Russia has stated it will not accept the deployment of troops from NATO countries in Ukraine.
Russian Perspective
As negotiations potentially reach a critical point in January, before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Monday that Russian troops are advancing in the eastern Donetsk region and the southern Zaporizhzhia region. Putin emphasized the need to create military buffer zones along the Russian border, stating it “ensures the security of Russia’s border regions.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Trump are expected to speak in the near future, but there are no plans for Putin to speak with Zelensky.
International Efforts & Referendum
French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv’s allies will meet in Paris in early January to “finalise each country’s concrete contributions” to the security guarantees. Trump indicated he would consider extending US security guarantees beyond 15 years, pending approval from the US Congress and other involved parliaments.
Zelensky said he wants the 20-point peace plan under discussion to be approved by Ukrainians in a national referendum, which would require a ceasefire of at least 60 days – a condition Moscow has not yet agreed to without a full settlement.
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