Ukraine and France discussed key elements of security guarantees
Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office (photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine and France, during their latest negotiations on a bilateral security agreement, have progressed to the direct elaboration of the draft and exchanged positions on key elements of the document, reports the press service of the Ukrainian president.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Ihor Zhovkva, led the Ukrainian negotiating team in talks with the French side.
The latest round of negotiations with Paris on the conclusion of a bilateral agreement providing security guarantees to Ukraine took place under the agreements reached by the presidents of both countries during a phone conversation on January 18.
"During the negotiations, the parties proceeded to the direct elaboration of the draft agreement and exchanged positions on key elements of the document," the statement said.
Additionally, both sides agreed on the schedule for further bilateral negotiations soon.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
In early July 2023, the Group of Seven (G7) nations approved a declaration pledging security guarantees to Ukraine, with over 30 countries having already joined.
Furthermore, several countries initiated bilateral negotiations with Ukraine regarding security assurances. Negotiations with Germany, for instance, commenced on November 17 of the previous year.
On January 12, during his visit to Kyiv, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed an agreement on security guarantees with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Consequently, the United Kingdom became the first country to formalize such an agreement with Ukraine, encompassing assurances of financial, military, and other forms of support.
In mid-January, Canada's Ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc, announced that Ottawa had submitted a draft agreement on security cooperation to the Office of the Ukrainian President. The agreement on security assurances is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
On January 17, French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, stated that Paris plans to sign a security agreement with Ukraine, mirroring the UK's actions. Work on the document is already nearing completion.
The French President also announced his intention to visit Ukraine officially in February, during which the signing of a bilateral security guarantees agreement is anticipated.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, declared on January 18 that several countries are expressing interest in signing a security agreement with Ukraine following the example set by the United Kingdom.
Earlier, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, emphasized that the security agreement with the United States would be unique and include additional provisions.
Recently, President Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with his Slovenian counterpart, Nataša Pirc Musar, during which they discussed the commencement of work on security guarantees, among other topics.
