The offer is not forever: Politico learned details about the proposed US security guarantees for Ukraine, "similar to NATO's Article 5"
Kyiv • UNN
The US is offering Ukraine security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5, but with an implicit ultimatum to accept them now. This offer is an attempt to accelerate a peace agreement and allay fears of a future Russian attack.
The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees similar to those it would receive as part of NATO, American officials said on Monday. The offer is the strongest and clearest security promise the Trump administration has made to Ukraine, but it comes with an implicit ultimatum: accept it now, or the next iteration will not be as generous, Politico reports, writes UNN.
Details
The offer of so-called Article 5-like guarantees came amid marathon negotiations between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, and Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin, as Washington tries to force Kyiv to accept terms to end the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and many European leaders are reluctant to reach an agreement without clear U.S. security guarantees, fearing that Russia will attack again after some time.
This latest U.S. offer appears to be an attempt to allay these fears, as well as to push Zelenskyy to act quickly.
The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees, Article 5-like. Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there’s a conclusion that’s reached in a good way
Later on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Zelenskyy and European leaders by phone. Trump also said he had spoken with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, but did not say when.
"I think we're closer now than we've ever been, and we'll see what we can do," Trump told reporters at the White House. Asked if the security guarantee offer had a time limit, he replied that "the time limit is when we can do it."
Weekend discussions largely focused on detailing the security guarantees the U.S. and Europe would provide to Ukraine, but they also included territory and other issues. Witkoff and Kushner were joined by General Alexus Grinkevich, head of U.S. European Command, as well as the NATO commander-in-chief.
The U.S. expects Russia to accept such an arrangement in a final agreement, and also to allow Ukraine to join the European Union. This, the publication writes, "may prove to be an overly optimistic assessment, given the Kremlin's refusal to compromise in peace talks." And Moscow has not yet expressed its opinion on any of the new agreements being developed in Europe over the past few days.
"We believe that the Russians in the final agreement will accept all these things that allow for the creation of a strong and free Ukraine. Russia in the final agreement stated that they are open to Ukraine joining the EU," said a second U.S. official.
It is unclear when and how the Trump administration will provide new details to Moscow. Russia expects the American side to inform it about the negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Putin "is open to peace, to serious peace and serious solutions. He is absolutely not prone to any tricks aimed at gaining time."
The Kremlin said on Monday that it was awaiting an update from the American side on the Berlin talks.
Asked if the talks could conclude before Christmas, Peskov said that attempts to predict potential timelines for a peace agreement were a "thankless task."
A second U.S. official said the Ukrainian delegation was pleasantly "surprised" by Trump's willingness to agree to tougher security guarantees and ensure their ratification by Congress so they would remain in effect beyond his presidency.
The American side also praised its European counterparts, who had worried for months that the Trump team would force Ukraine to agree to unfavorable terms. European officials also sounded optimistic.
"The legal and material security guarantees that the U.S. has put on the negotiating table here in Berlin are impressive," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a press conference after Monday's talks.
Merz, along with his counterparts from Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the EU, issued a statement welcoming "significant progress" in U.S. efforts and pledging to help Ukraine end the war and deter Russian aggression, including through a multinational force for Ukraine led by Europe and supported by the U.S.
"Last week, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine would not seek NATO membership, a condition repeatedly sought by Russia," the publication writes.
Trump, who missed this week's meetings in Berlin but was briefed twice by Witkoff and Kushner, was reportedly "planned to call into a dinner Monday for attending heads of state, foreign ministers and security officials," U.S. officials said.
"He's very happy with where [things] are," the first U.S. official said.
Witkoff and Kushner also sought to narrow disputes between Ukraine and Russia over what territory Moscow would control in a final agreement. Russia has so far insisted on controlling Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, even parts that Moscow has not yet captured.
One U.S. official said the talks focused on many specific territorial issues, saying there was a proposal under development, but not yet finalized, for Russia and Ukraine to share control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, with each country having access to half of the energy produced by the plant.
But U.S. officials largely avoided details on how they intend to overcome other differences in territorial disputes. They said they left Zelenskyy with "food for thought" ideas on how to do so.
After Zelenskyy responds to the proposals, Witkoff and Kushner will discuss the issue with Russia, the publication writes.
"We are very pleased with the progress made, particularly on territories," the first official said.
Next, the U.S. is convening working groups, likely this weekend in Miami, where military officials will meticulously study maps to resolve remaining territorial issues.
"We believe we've probably resolved... 90 percent of the issues between Ukraine and Russia, but there are still some things that need to be resolved," the first U.S. official said.
Next Ukraine-US talks may take place in Miami this week15.12.25, 23:58 • 10609 views