US Has Offered a Decade and a Half of Security Guarantees, Affirms the Ukrainian Leader.
Following high-level talks, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has disclosed that Washington has proposed a proposed peace plan encompassing protection pledges for Ukraine spanning a period of 15 years.
Details of the Proposal
President Zelenskyy noted that during significant talks with American leader President Trump, he had asked for security guarantees for as long as half a century. However, the proposed framework envisions a shorter assurance of 15 years from America.
It is not clear what form these commitments would entail, but the president has been insisting on "defense pledges similar to NATO's Article 5, referring to Nato’s core tenet that an attack on one member is treated as an assault against the entire alliance.
Negotiation Developments
According to Zelenskyy, Washington's protection assurances for his country under the updated settlement framework have been fully agreed upon, although the American leader expressed more caution, estimating the agreement at more like 95%.
The two presidents said that progress had been made during the discussions in Mar-a-Lago. The US President, nevertheless, warned that there were several difficult outstanding issues, particularly regarding territorial disputes.
Conditions for Russian Talks
Separately, Zelenskyy also told journalists that a meeting with Russia would be possible following the US and European leaders reached a consensus on a peace framework put forward by Kyiv to conclude the conflict.
This comment comes after the US President told the media that he was of the opinion a meeting involving three parties between Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington could happen when conditions are suitable.
Previous Interaction
Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin have not held direct talks since the end of 2019. The most recent talks, facilitated by the leaders of France and Germany, sought to restart efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict.
In a later instance, in May 2025, the Kremlin leader refused to go to Istanbul for negotiations with Zelenskyy, turning down a bold proposal to discuss peace in Istanbul.
Key Sticking Points
A significant point of contention is the disposition of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. Trump said that a suggestion to turn the area, which is mostly under Russian control, into a demilitarised zone continues to be a topic of debate.
He added that it will become clear in the coming weeks whether the war can end.
The leaders have stressed that the extended negotiations would carry on as they strive for a final resolution to the multi-year hostilities.
