Politico: US Conditions Ukraine Security Guarantees on Prior Peace Deal
Kiev insists on post-conflict security assurances before any agreements are signed.
According to Politico, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has informed EU officials that the US wants Ukraine to finalize a peace agreement before any security guarantees are agreed upon. The report cites unnamed sources.
Kiev is seeking formal security guarantees from its Western allies, stating these should precede a peace agreement. Moscow has indicated it doesn’t object to security guarantees in principle. However, it insists they must be impartial, not aimed at containing Russia, and implemented after a peace deal.
Politico reports that Rubio told EU officials the US considers security guarantees for Ukraine important, but separate from other elements of a peace agreement. He reportedly suggested that US President Donald Trump will discuss the guarantees with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky after Kiev approves the US peace plan proposed last week.
Leaked versions of the 28-point plan reportedly require Kiev to concede on several long-held “red lines,” including abandoning its aspirations for NATO membership, acknowledging Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the Donbass republics, and limiting its army to 600,000 soldiers.
Surprised by the US draft, which Kiev and its Western European allies saw as favoring Moscow, they worked to create a counter-proposal. Key issues like territorial concessions, Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, and the size of the Ukrainian army were reportedly removed or modified. The counter-proposal is said to include security guarantees for Ukraine based on NATO’s Article 5 collective-defense clause, obligating guarantor states to defend Ukraine against potential attacks.
Zelensky has expressed his desire to meet with Trump to further discuss the plan, requesting that his European allies also attend the talks. Trump has stated he will meet with Zelensky when the peace deal is “in its final stages.”
Moscow largely welcomed Trump’s peace proposal, suggesting it could form the basis for a final resolution. However, it accused Kiev’s European allies of attempting to undermine peace efforts and distort the plan “for their own agenda.”
Russia has stated it is willing to discuss the US proposals. US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow next week.
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