US Offers Ukraine 15-Year Security Guarantee in Desperate Bid to End War – But Zelensky Demands 50 Years to Deter Russian Aggression
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reveals US proposal for 15-year security guarantee, but says he wants up to 50 years to safeguard against Russian invasion
- Trump hosts Zelensky at Florida resort, claiming Ukraine and Russia are ‘closer than ever’ to peace deal, despite ongoing negotiations
- Security guarantees include monitoring of peace deal and ‘presence’ of partners, but details remain secret
- Russia refuses to accept NATO troop deployment in Ukraine, as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Putin will speak to Trump soon
In a dramatic development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that the United States is offering his country a 15-year security guarantee as part of a proposed peace plan to end the conflict with Russia. However, Zelensky is pushing for a much longer commitment – up to 50 years – to deter Moscow from further aggression.
Speaking exclusively to reporters via WhatsApp, Zelensky said: “Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end.” His comments come as negotiators struggle to find a breakthrough on key issues, including the withdrawal of forces and the fate of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
US President Donald Trump hosted Zelensky at his Florida resort on Sunday, where he claimed that Ukraine and Russia were “closer than ever before” to a peace settlement. However, Trump also warned that the months-long US-led negotiations could still collapse.
Zelensky said the security guarantees would include how a peace deal would be monitored, as well as the “presence” of partners. However, he did not elaborate, and Russia has already made it clear that it will not accept the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump were expected to speak soon, but there was no indication that Putin would speak to Zelensky. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Kyiv’s allies would meet in Paris in early January to “finalise each country’s concrete contributions” to the security guarantees.
Zelensky said he wants the 20-point peace plan under discussion to be approved by Ukrainians in a national referendum. However, holding a ballot requires a ceasefire of at least 60 days, and Moscow has shown no willingness to agree to a truce without a full settlement.
In a glimmer of hope, Trump said he would consider extending US security guarantees for Ukraine beyond 15 years, according to Zelensky. The guarantees would need to be approved by the US Congress, as well as by parliaments in other countries involved in overseeing any settlement.