Negotiations to End the War Are Entering Their Most Difficult Phase, With Security Guarantees for Ukraine Remaining Central to the Issue. The United States, Europe, and Kyiv Are Synchronizing Positions, Trying to Avoid Repeating the Mistakes of Past Agreements. At the Same Time, Russia Rejects the Proposed Formats, Making It Harder to Find a Compromise.
Security Guarantees for Ukraine Remain the Key and Most Difficult Issue in the Negotiations
Ukraine Insists That It Will Not End the War Without Clear and Legally Binding Security Guarantees After the End of the Fighting. Negotiations with the United States Have Entered Their Most Intense Phase, and the Parties Have For the First Time Come Closer to a Framework Agreement That Could Satisfy Kyiv’s Demand for Protection from a Re-Invasion by Russia. At the Same Time, a Number of Fundamental Questions Remain: Which Countries Will Provide the Guarantees, in What Format, and for How Long? The Ukrainian side is keen to avoid a repeat of the Budapest Memorandum, where the lack of specifics effectively stripped the guarantee of any real substance.
The draft peace plan envisages “guarantees similar to NATO Article 5,” the maintenance of an 800,000-strong army, Western funding, Ukraine’s future membership in the EU, and a bilateral security agreement with the US. President Volodymyr Zelensky has stressed that European support should be provided through a “Coalition of the Willing,” which is ready to strengthen Ukraine’s air, land, and maritime defenses. “Our discussions are moving forward,” Zelensky wrote, stressing that the agreements should be “effective, dignified, and will ensure peace for decades.” The Kremlin, however, rejects any presence of Western troops in Ukraine and has shown no willingness to agree to the proposed plan.
Allied Security Advisers Discuss Guarantees and Economic Support in Kyiv
National security advisers from European states and Ukraine’s partners have arrived in Kyiv to discuss security guarantees and long-term economic support. President Volodymyr Zelensky said, that Ukraine has handed over all documents on peace proposals to 18 advisers, which will significantly speed up the negotiation process. According to him, further work will now take place in European capitals, as well as in Canada and Japan within the framework of the “Coalition of the Willing”. “We are not allocating much time to this process,” Zelensky noted.
Ukrainian negotiator Oleksandr Bevz said that Kyiv is coordinating with partners a multilateral security model, where Ukrainian forces remain the first line of defense, and European troops and US support act as a “backstop”. In parallel, a consensus was reached on an economic support package for Ukraine worth about $800 billion for the next decade. It covers compensation for losses, reconstruction, economic stabilization and a separate “growth booster” linked to reforms on the path to EU accession. Specific sources of funding are still being agreed.
Zelensky expects European troops and prepares for summit in the US
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, that Ukraine expects to deploy European forces within the framework of security guarantees after the end of the war. He confirmed that the peace agreement is now “90% ready”, and diplomatic efforts have intensified ahead of new meetings in Paris and with American representatives. According to him, Kyiv hopes for a summit in the US by the end of January, where final proposals for ending the war will be discussed. Zelensky stressed that without effective guarantees, Ukraine will not sign the agreement.
At the same time, the head of state clearly stated that in the event of a failure of the negotiations, Ukraine will continue its defense. “If Russia blocks all this… there will be another way: to defend itself,” Zelensky said. Kyiv insists that territorial concessions will only encourage Moscow to new aggression. That is why the Ukrainian side demands a peace format that will really deter Russia from a second invasion.
Zelensky: It is impossible to force Russia to make peace without active US participation
Zelensky said, that there is currently no alternative to active US participation in the peace process. According to him, only increased American pressure – through sanctions and military support – can force Russia to sign the developed peace plan. “Talk not just on the phone, but talk about sanctions, talk about military support for Ukraine,” Zelensky stressed. He also drew attention to the slowdown in the processes of supplying air defense systems, which, according to him, is well noticed in Moscow.
Zelensky reported that in Paris, the “Coalition of the Willing” is to finalize a document on security guarantees for Ukraine. This document will become the basis for negotiations with US President Donald Trump. It will include European security guarantees, Ukraine's future membership in the EU and bilateral guarantees from the US. "This is the number one task - to finalize the document on security guarantees," the president stressed.
Trump says he's not happy with Putin, but wants to stop war
US President Donald Trump said, that he doesn't like Vladimir Putin because of the scale of the death toll in the war against Ukraine. "I'm not happy with Putin, he's killing a lot of people," Trump said during a press conference. He stressed that he wants to stop the war, which he called a "bloodbath." At the same time, the American president repeated the thesis that the conflict turned out to be much more complicated than he expected.
Trump said that he sees progress in the work of his special envoy Steve Witkoff. "I think we're making progress," he said. The US president also once again emphasized that he "inherited" the war from the previous administration, and said that under different circumstances the fighting could have ended much faster. He emphasized that the United States is interested in ending the war and reducing the number of casualties among civilians and military personnel.
President Trump Holds a Press Conference, Jan. 3, 2026 – YouTube
Photo: Danylo Antoniuk.
Author: Danylo Pievchev