US security guarantees set for 15 years, with Ukraine pushing for extension, Zelensky says
In the draft agreement, U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine are outlined for a period of 15 years, with a possibility for extension, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on Dec. 29.
Security guarantees were one of the topics discussed during Zelensky's two-hour meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at his residence in Mar-a-Lago in Florida, which ended without a breakthrough.
Zelensky described the current guarantees as "strong," though adding that "for now, they are not permanent."
"I told (Trump) that the war has been going on for almost 15 years, and we would really like the guarantees to be longer," Zelensky said.
"I told him that we would like to consider guarantees for 30, 40, or even 50 years, and that would be a historic decision by president Trump. The president said he would think about it."
Days before the meeting, Zelensky unveiled a draft of the revised peace plan to end Russia's full-scale war. The initial 28-point plan, which effectively pushed Ukraine toward capitulation, has been reworked into a 20-point framework.
In addition, drafts for three-party security guarantees between Ukraine, the U.S., and Europe, as well as a bilateral security agreement with the U.S., were developed. Another document outlines economic cooperation, dubbed the "roadmap for Ukraine’s prosperity."
Zelensky believes that the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian soil would strengthen the security guarantees already offered by Western partners. According to him, such a move would ensure that "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin will not come again with aggression against Ukraine."
The Ukrainian president said that effective security guarantees could also serve as a condition for lifting martial law.
Once agreed upon, security guarantees for Ukraine are expected to be approved by the U.S. Congress and the parliaments of certain European countries.
"I believe that such security guarantees should and can be effective," Zelensky said.
Later in the day, Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, held a phone call with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, with Zelensky also joining the conversation.
"We are continuing consultations and working through the points in the documents virtually every day," Umerov said.
Ukrainian and American delegations are planning to meet in the coming days in January to finalize the issues discussed during the Trump-Zelensky meeting.
Speaking about a potential personal meeting with Putin, Zelensky said he is open to any format. But as he pointed out, Putin's "peaceful rhetoric" in discussions with Trump contradicts his actions, as Moscow continues its relentless attacks on Ukraine and seeks to occupy more territory.
"It is important that the actions and words of the Russian leader align," Zelensky added.
