German FM: Ukraine needs security guarantees commensurate with NATO membership

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called for expanding the circle of countries providing security guarantees to Ukraine, stressing that such guarantees should be “very close to what NATO membership means.”

Speaking in Berlin at an open house event organised by the German government, Wadephul said the list of states offering guarantees must go beyond Europe, with the United States playing a central role, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to him, around 30 countries, including Japan, have expressed readiness to support Kyiv. He emphasised that Ukraine requires security guarantees “approximately equivalent to NATO membership.”

The statement comes just days after a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, held on August 15 at a military base in Alaska. Following the talks, Putin told reporters that resolving the conflict in Ukraine was the main topic of discussion. He also urged turning the page in bilateral relations and invited Trump to visit Moscow. Trump, for his part, noted progress in the negotiations but acknowledged that the two sides had not reached agreement on all issues.

Further consultations on Ukraine took place on August 19 in Washington, where leaders of the so-called “coalition of the willing” held a videoconference, followed by an online EU summit. Both meetings discussed the outcomes of the Russia-U.S. summit in Alaska, Trump’s talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders, as well as possible frameworks for security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of hostilities.

By Khagan Isayev