Ukraine peace deal may include exchange of territories for security guarantees, Waltz says
Photo: Mike Waltz, White House national security adviser (Getty Images)
The Trump administration believes that a peace deal could include something like a territory swap for security guarantees. But negotiations are still ongoing, according to White House National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, reports ABC News.
The journalist asked Waltz whether he agreed with the vision of a possible peace agreement on Ukraine, which was voiced by Fox News host Sean Hannity. This scenario assumes that the United States will be present in Ukraine because of the rare earth metals agreement, European troops may be involved, and Ukraine will not become a NATO member. Some territories, including parts of Donbas, could fall under Russian control.
In response, Waltz noted that similar negotiations had already been held before, as far back as 2022 and even before that. According to him, a possible compromise could involve the exchange of territories for security guarantees for Ukraine and the determination of its future status.
“This is going to be some type of territory for future security guarantees, the future status of – of Ukraine. We talked about, as – as secretary of defense has said at the NATO – the NATO defense ministerial that, you know, a pathway – a permanent pathway into NATO, or a permanent membership into NATO for Ukraine is incredibly unlikely. And that’s not just from the United States. That’s from a number of other countries as well,” he said.
Waltz notes that the main elements of a possible agreement are already known. According to him, negotiations are underway with both sides to find a way to sit down at the negotiating table and stop the war and stop the loss of life through shuttle diplomacy.
When asked whether a potential peace agreement means the transfer of Donbas to Russia and the retention of Crimea, Waltz said that this issue should be considered in terms of realism and the national interests of the United States.
“We have to ask ourselves, is it in our national interest? Is it realistic? We’ve talked to the Europeans about this, and the Ukrainians. Are we going to drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea?.. We are literally losing hundreds of thousands of people in a matter of months. And could escalate into World War III,” he said.
Waltz also emphasized that, in addition to moral assessments of the situation, it is also necessary to take into account the real circumstances.
“We can talk about what’s right and wrong. And we also have to talk about the reality of the situation on the ground. And that’s what we are doing through diplomacy, through shuttle diplomacy, through proximity talks,” he summarized.
Proposal for a ceasefire
Following the talks in Saudi Arabia, the US delegation proposed a full ceasefire for 30 days. Ukraine agreed to the proposal but warned that Russia could violate the ceasefire.
To discuss the proposal, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow this week. However, Putin did not give a definitive answer. He said that Ukraine might use this time to rearm. The Kremlin noted that this was the “signal” it sent to the United States.
European leaders have also expressed doubts that Russia will adhere to the ceasefire.
