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US security guarantees document is 100% ready, Zelensky says

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US security guarantees document is 100% ready, Zelensky says
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania's President and Poland's President, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Petras Malukas / AFP via Getty Images)

A document outlining U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine is complete, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 25 during a press conference in Vilnius.

"For us, security guarantees are first and foremost guarantees from the United States. The document is 100% ready, and we are waiting for our partners to confirm the date and place for its signing," Zelensky told reporters.

Once signed, the document will be submitted for ratification to both the U.S. Congress and the Ukrainian parliament, he added.

Zelensky also noted that Ukraine's membership in the European Union would serve as an economic security guarantee, saying the country would be ready to join the bloc by 2027.

Over the weekend, Ukraine engaged in negotiations with Russia and the U.S. in the United Arab Emirates. Although the talks were described as "constructive," they did not produce a major breakthrough. However, news of the completed security guarantees document suggests some progress was made during the trilateral discussions.

Zelensky also reaffirmed that Kyiv's position on the Donbas remains unchanged, emphasizing that Ukraine's territorial integrity must be preserved. Acknowledging deep differences between Ukrainian and Russian positions, he reiterated that territorial issues remain a key obstacle.

"Our position regarding our territory — Ukraine's territorial integrity — must be respected," Zelensky said.

Russia has maintained its maximalist territorial demands, insisting that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas. Despite fighting in the region for more than a decade, Russia has failed to fully occupy the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts and is now tying any future ceasefire on Ukraine's withdrawal.

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Lucy Pakhnyuk

News Editor

Lucy Pakhnyuk is a North America-based news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in international development, specializing in democracy, human rights, and governance across Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Her experience includes roles at international NGOs such as Internews, the National Democratic Institute, and Eurasia Foundation. She holds an M.A. in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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