NYT: What the West Is Offering Ukraine in Security Guarantees
The United States and European allies are close to finalizing a set of security guarantees for Ukraine as part of ongoing negotiations around a proposed peace framework.
The Gaze informs about it, referring to The New York Times.
Diplomats from the U.S., Ukraine, and several European countries have nearly completed work on two key documents outlining deterrence measures intended to prevent renewed Russian aggression following a potential ceasefire.
Sources familiar with the talks said the draft agreements are the result of more than eight hours of intensive discussions held in Berlin on December 14–15, initially involving U.S. and Ukrainian officials, followed by consultations with European partners.
One of the documents lays out overarching security principles and has been compared by U.S. and European officials to NATO’s Article 5, which commits allies to collective defense. The second, more operational text focuses on concrete mechanisms for military cooperation between Ukraine and its Western partners.
Officials who have reviewed the drafts said the practical document includes detailed contingency plans addressing various scenarios of potential Russian military action. A senior U.S. official described the provisions as highly specific, including predefined responses and punitive measures should Moscow violate any future agreement.
Among the proposed safeguards is the maintenance of a Ukrainian armed force of approximately 800,000 personnel in peacetime, supported through sustained training and modern equipment. European diplomats said the document also specifies Ukraine’s priority needs across multiple weapons categories.
The plan further envisions a European-led military presence on Ukrainian territory tasked with air defense and maritime security. While participating countries have not been publicly identified, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously confirmed that several states have expressed readiness to contribute troops.
This deterrence force would be stationed primarily in western Ukraine and is intended to serve as an additional barrier against renewed Russian attacks. One European diplomat likened the commitments outlined in the document to a “menu” from which individual countries could select their level of involvement.
The draft also assigns a central role to U.S. intelligence capabilities, including monitoring compliance with a ceasefire, detecting early signs of Russian military preparations, and preventing localized incidents from escalating into broader hostilities. U.S. involvement would reportedly extend to identifying potential false-flag operations that Russia could use to justify restarting the war.
These elements align with a statement issued earlier this week by European leaders, which noted that Washington would lead an internationally supported mechanism for ceasefire monitoring and verification, aimed at providing early warning of any renewed attack.
However, the outlet notes that it remains unclear whether the United States would commit to direct military intervention should Russian forces target the European deterrence contingent deployed in Ukraine.
As The Gaze reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that five documents are currently being prepared, some of which provide for legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine, including me
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