Ukrainian leader demands security guarantees from Western nations after conflict

During a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a strong request for security guarantees from Western nations after the conflict is over.

Zelenskyy stated that he had increased the likelihood of a freeze in the Ukrainian conflict and, in this context, insisted on the need for security guarantees, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

He argued that Ukraine could only enter ceasefire negotiations from a position of strength. Zelenskyy also expressed his goal of securing an invitation to join NATO. He proposed the potential presence of Western troops on Ukrainian territory.

The meeting among Zelenskyy, Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris lasted 35 minutes. The sources also noted that Zelenskyy sought to build a rapport with Trump and took the opportunity to explain the necessity of providing Kyiv with security guarantees following negotiations with Russia, regardless of the outcome of the conflict.

The meeting provided some early indications of how negotiations to end the conflict might unfold, though the process, which would involve Russian President Vladimir Putin, remains complex, and the role of the US remains uncertain. According to one source, Trump was friendly, respectful, and receptive, appearing to be in a listening mode. 

Trump's team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither Trump nor his Ukraine-focused officials have provided clear insights into their vision for resolving the war or how they would address Ukraine's demand for security guarantees as part of any peace agreement. This ambiguity has fueled growing uncertainty in Kyiv, especially given the continued Russian advances in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and the ongoing drone attacks on cities far from the front lines.

"Several key points were raised during the meeting. For instance, it was emphasized that peace requires guarantees, as a ceasefire alone would not suffice. Putin could break it again, as he has in the past, without proper assurances," a source from the Ukrainian president's office said.

When asked how this was received, the source replied, referring to Trump: "He's considering all the details." Kyiv has been pressing the outgoing US administration for NATO membership, consistently arguing that security guarantees are essential to prevent future Russian invasions. This message remains unchanged, even as Zelenskyy has recently acknowledged that a diplomatic solution to the war could save lives, slightly softening his earlier stance that all Russian forces must be expelled from Ukraine before peace can be achieved.

By Naila Huseynova