The United States is discussing security guarantees for Ukraine based on the principle of NATO's Article 5

The United States of America is discussing the possibility of providing Ukraine with strong security guarantees analogous to the provisions of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty on collective defense. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this on October 20 during a press conference following the talks between the United States and Ukraine in Oslo, reports UNN.

"We discussed security guarantees, in particular based on the principle of Article 5 of NATO," the Ukrainian leader said.

Details

According to the head of state, Ukraine expects legally binding guarantees from Washington that should prevent a recurrence of Russian aggression after the war ends.

"The key issue remains the mechanism for the response by the United States and European partners in the event of a new attack by the russian federation. The Ukrainian side insists that the relevant agreements must provide for specific commitments by the allies, rather than merely political assurances," Zelenskyy added.

It should be noted that, despite the statements by the President of Ukraine, the final terms of the security guarantees, the procedure for their application, and the deadlines for signing the relevant agreement have not yet been publicly determined.

What you need to know about the talks in Oslo

The issue of security guarantees became one of the topics of the diplomatic talks held on October 20 in Oslo with the participation of Zelenskyy, U.S. President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed possible ways to end the Russian-Ukrainian war and further diplomatic steps. Witkoff is expected to travel to russia on October 21 to discuss the proposals developed.

Context

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that a document on bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States had been prepared; however, for it to enter into force, it would require signing and ratification by the Congress of the United States and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Let us recall that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty provides that an armed attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all members of the Alliance. At the same time, its provisions do not mean the automatic entry of all allied states into the war.