Zelenskyy: US proposes 15-year security guarantees for Ukraine
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
The United States wants to provide Ukraine with security guarantees for 15 years, with the option to extend them. However, such a timeframe may not be enough, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Axios.
Zelenskyy said that most aspects of the bilateral agreements between the US and Ukraine have already been agreed and formalized in five documents, with a possible sixth to be added.
He noted that some "technical things" still need to be discussed. One of them is the duration of the security guarantees agreement. The US is proposing a 15-year pact with the option of extension.
"I think we need more than 15 years," the President said.
Zelenskyy added that it would be a major success if US President Donald Trump agrees with this position.
According to Zelenskyy, both the US and Ukraine will submit the security guarantees for ratification by their legislatures.
He also praised the work of US special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and his own team, led by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
Earlier, Zelenskyy said Ukraine plans to sign two security guarantee agreements. The first would be trilateral (Ukraine, Europe, and the US), and the second bilateral (Ukraine and the US).
Security guarantees are also included in the 20-point peace plan that Kyiv is coordinating with Washington.
The document states that Ukraine would receive security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
