US Offers Ukraine 15-Year Security Guarantees

The United States has offered Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan to end the war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He made the statement after meeting U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida.

Mr Zelenskyy said that the security guarantees would need approval from the U.S. Congress and other national parliaments. He added that Ukraine is seeking stronger and longer-term guarantees, lasting up to 50 years. He said Ukraine would agree to talks with Russia only if President Trump and European leaders first agree on clear and formal peace terms.

The Ukrainian President also said that a ceasefire of at least 60 days would be necessary to move forward with peace talks. He mentioned that discussions are also taking place about creating a free economic zone in the Donbas region as part of future recovery plans.

President Trump said that good progress has been made toward ending the war. He expressed confidence that peace talks could be completed within a few weeks. Trump added that he and Zelenskyy had spoken with several European leaders and that he later held a phone call lasting nearly two and a half hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin.