International authorities to negotiate security assurances for Ukraine with Donald Trump
The leaders of Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Finland, and the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, along with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, will meet with US President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss potential future security guarantees for Ukraine.
This gathering follows a previous summit held in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was widely perceived as a victory for Putin, as Trump scrapped the threat of heavy sanctions on Russia and favoured Moscow's call for an overarching agreement to end the war.
Ukraine seeks security guarantees from the US, with a preference for them to be similar to Article 5 of Nato. However, the exact nature of these guarantees has not been detailed, and Russian resistance remains a significant barrier.
The Kremlin has previously rejected the prospect of western peacekeepers overseeing a deal to end the war, and Kyiv views any such deal as a capitulation.
Steve Witkoff, a White House envoy, stated that Russia has dropped its opposition to the West providing Nato-style defense pledges to Kyiv. However, the US remains hesitant to commit troops or formal treaty guarantees, but could support layered security arrangements including diplomatic efforts and monitoring missions.
European countries are advocating for security guarantees for Ukraine based on a framework resembling NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause. Taoiseach Micheál Martin emphasizes the need for strong, credible, long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, including EU membership and sustained support from Europe and the US.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the leader of Ukraine, could face pressure in his meeting with Trump, given his previous shouting match with Trump in February. Trump reportedly told Zelenskiy that Russia is demanding the full withdrawal of Ukraine's forces from its Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
If Russian troops remain on Ukrainian soil after a peace deal, a credible, civilian monitoring mission is proposed to patrol areas of occupation, led by a neutral international organization acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia, such as the Organization of Turkic States or the Gulf Cooperation Council. This mission would aim to stabilize ceasefires and decrease hostilities but is recognized as unable to fully resolve disputes on its own.
The Article 5 clause of Nato's founding treaty enshrines the principle of collective defense, meaning an attack on a single member is considered an attack on all. Potential long-term membership for Ukraine remains the most effective security guarantee, though politically contentious in the short term. NATO might also participate indirectly via political and strategic support.
In the immediate term, a credible, civilian monitoring mission is proposed to patrol areas of occupation, particularly if Russian troops remain on Ukrainian soil after a peace deal. This mission would ideally be led by a neutral international organization acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia.
Together, these entities would be instrumental in implementing a multi-layered security framework involving international monitoring, diplomatic guarantees, and potentially evolving military alliances to secure Ukraine’s sovereignty without provoking further escalation.
- The discussion between world leaders about potential security guarantees for Ukraine, which includes a preference for NATO-style guarantees similar to Article 5, is indicative of the politics surrounding war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and general news.
- European countries, advocating for security guarantees for Ukraine based on a NATO-like framework, are emphasizing the need for strong, credible, long-term security measures, including civilian monitoring missions and potentially evolving military alliances, as a means to address both immediate concerns and long-term stability, and thus, contribute to the broader discourse on war-and-conflicts, politics, and general news.
