Ukrainian FM: European military contingent in Ukraine should cover land, sea, air

Once ongoing military operations cease, the presence of Kyiv’s allies from the “Coalition of the Willing” should be established across all domains—on land, at sea, and in the air over the republic.

This remark was made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Caliber.Az reports citing Ukrainian media, emphasising that no long-term peace agreement is possible without reliable security guarantees.

He also noted that Kyiv is engaged in "very specific" consultations with the coalition, which is spearheaded by the UK and France and counts 31 countries, though only a loose alliance, regarding the deployment of a military contingent to Ukraine.

Sybiha said that there is currently a shared understanding of the potential roles and capabilities of Ukraine’s partners in the country’s future security infrastructure.

“The military presence of our allies must be on land, in the air, and at sea,” he stressed.

After months of difficult negotiations, the United States and Ukraine have signed an "economic partnership agreement"—widely referred to as the minerals deal—granting the US access to Ukraine's mineral resources. Under the terms, Ukraine retains ownership of its mineral reserves, critical infrastructure, and other strategic assets. In return, the agreement establishes an investment fund to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and potentially cover future US arms and defence supplies.

Security guarantees were a contentious topic during the talks but were ultimately left out of the final document. US negotiators argued that their financial stake and significant investments in Ukraine would inherently serve as a de facto security assurance.

By Nazrin Sadigova