Ukraine Receives US Security Guarantees Draft, Plans Revisions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has received a draft of security guarantees from the United States, which is currently being reviewed and supplemented with Ukrainian proposals.
The Gaze reports on this, referring to Ukrinform.
The document is expected to serve as the basis for further negotiations and will include legally binding commitments from the parties.
“We need effective security guarantees, not something similar to the Budapest Memorandum. Everyone understands this, and I am grateful to America for this understanding,” Zelenskyy said.
Key unresolved issues in the peace plan remain the territories of Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Regarding Donetsk, the US proposes creating a “free economic” or demilitarized zone. Nevertheless, it remains unclear who will control these territories and how to prevent the advance of Russian troops.
Zelenskyy emphasized that there are still no clear answers to critical questions — who will conduct monitoring, how to ensure security, and how to prevent Russian troops from infiltrating under the guise of civilians.
“I have heard all the proposals from the American side and, in effect, through them, the ‘Russian’ side regarding the Donetsk territory, and I said that this is definitely not in Ukraine’s interests, but we need to continue the conversation and try to find answers to all questions so that everything is handled more adequately,” Zelenskyy stressed.
Regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the President explained that the US proposes a joint management format for the plant. The details are still under discussion, as it is important to determine how to restore the plant’s operation and ensure control.
“If the Americans can take over the plant, then it is clear what their share in the plant means — it is their influence, it is their money, and ours is ours. And so far, it is difficult to say what kind of consortium could exist for the plant, how it would be implemented, how to restart operations, and how to manage it,” he added.
The President also stated that the number of Ukrainian Armed Forces under the draft possible peace agreement would be 800,000 personnel, which corresponds to the current actual size of the army and has been agreed upon with the military.
“I believe that today we have sufficiently finalized this point,” Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, decisions regarding potential compromises on territories should be made by the people of Ukraine through elections or a referendum.
“The people of Ukraine will answer this question. Either through elections or a referendum, but there must be a position of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy emphasized, adding that the military’s position also strongly influences the entire diplomatic framework.
Representatives of Ukraine, the US, and EU countries are expected to hold important talks in Paris on October 13 over controversial points in Donald Trump's peace plan.
These negotiations are unfolding amid intensified diplomacy aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, with Ukraine submitting a revised 20‑point proposal and engaging closely with the United States and European partners in high‑level talks. International efforts have included recent summits and discussions among leaders from the US, UK, France, and Germany to advance the peace initiative and secure internationally supported guarantees and reconstruction frameworks.
As The Gaze reported earlier, on December 8, Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting in London with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and also joined broader consultations with the Coalition of the Willing.