World leaders gathered in Washington on Monday for a summit billed as a potential turning point in efforts to end the Ukraine war.
In the Oval Office, Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and senior European figures to thrash out what security guarantees for Ukraine might look like if a peace deal with Russia can be reached.
The meeting was described as “historic” by British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has emerged as one of the driving forces behind Europe’s response. Nato military leaders are meeting on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine and the way forward.
But even as the talks took place, Moscow dismissed the plans as dangerous and warned against any Western military presence in Ukraine.
United States security guarantees
Trump has made clear that the United States will not commit troops on the ground in Ukraine.
But the prospect of an arrangement that borrows some of the deterrent effect of Nato’s Article 5 has been discussed, a move revealed by the alliance’s secretary general Mark Rutte.
He told Fox News: “What we are discussing here is not Nato membership, what we are discussing here is Article 5 type of security guarantees for Ukraine and what exactly they will entail will now be more specifically discussed.”
Ukraine also wants to buy $90 billion (£67bn) worth of US weapons and says they could form part of the security guarantee.
Beyond that, however, Trump has been vague about how much the US would contribute.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump underlined that European nations would be expected to carry most of the burden.
“When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” he said, sitting next to Zelensky. “They are a first line of defence because they’re there. But we’ll help them out.”
He later said that the US will be willing to help out with air support, despite not putting boots on the ground.
“(Europeans) are willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably … by air,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News, without going into specifics.
British guarantees and the coalition of the willing
The United Kingdom has taken a leading role in shaping European proposals. Sir Keir has spearheaded the creation of a “coalition of the willing”, a group of allies prepared to go further than financial and weapons support.
Under this plan, international “reassurance” forces could be deployed in Ukraine after a ceasefire or peace deal, helping to deter renewed Russian attacks and to provide reassurance that Kyiv is not left to stand alone.
The plan was discussed in a virtual meeting on Tuesday attended by more than 30 international leaders.
The virtual meeting, co-chaired by Sir Keir, also discussed possible further sanctions on Russia to pile pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war.
European leaders see security guarantees as essential to any peace deal, but they also stress that Ukraine must be directly involved in shaping the terms.
The European Union’s existing training mission for Ukrainian troops will also continue, ensuring that Kyiv can sustain and modernise its armed forces in the years ahead.
Russia’s response
Trump claimed after his meeting in Alaska last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Putin was open to the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine.
But publicly, Moscow has dismissed Western plans for security guarantees.
The Russian foreign ministry has this week reiterated its opposition to the deployment of Nato or Nato-affiliated troops in Ukraine, warning that such a move would be seen as a direct threat to Russia’s security.
It condemned recent statements made by the UK that calling for strong security guarantees.
“At a time when there is a genuine push for a comprehensive, fair, and lasting resolution to the conflict around Ukraine, including addressing its root causes, statements continue to emerge from London that not only contradict the efforts of Moscow and Washington, but also appear aimed at undermining them,” the ministry said.
Ukraine’s response
Volodymyr Zelensky has persistently demanded strong security guarantees for Ukraine in order to prevent further Russian aggression.
“We need strong security guarantees to ensure a truly secure and lasting peace,” Mr Zelensky said in a Telegram post Wednesday after Russian missile and drone strikes hit six regions of Ukraine overnight.
Kyiv’s allies across Europe and in Nato have supported the war-torn country in pushing for US security guarantees since Trump took office in January.
Nato military leaders are expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine and the way forward, US and Nato officials said on Tuesday, as Washington and European capitals work out details of what security guarantees might look like for Kyiv.
