Security guarantees for Ukraine will be at the top of the agenda when U.S., Ukrainian and Russian negotiators meet this week as the Trump administration seeks to provide Kyiv with NATO-style protections against another Russian invasion.
The two-day talks begin Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and follow previous negotiations earlier this year that did not result in any meaningful progress towards ending Europe’s longest conflict since World War II.
A senior White House official said the talks will focus on security guarantees for Ukraine.
People were interested in these podcasts
“We really need to have a way for communications, de-escalation and future conflict resolution,” the official said. “We’ve asked the Russians for us to give an Article Four and an Article Five security guarantee, along with NATO providing the same.”
Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows any member nation to request consultations with its allies when it believes its territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened. Article 5 goes further, requiring all NATO members to assist an ally that is attacked through the possible use of military force, although each country determines the actions it considers necessary.
“What [Ukraine] would be getting would be effectively very similar to NATO,” the official said.
The proposed assurances would provide Kyiv with protections similar to those enjoyed by NATO members without necessarily admitting Ukraine into the military alliance, a step Moscow has fiercely opposed.
American, Ukrainian and European officials met in Brussels last week to discuss potential security guarantees ahead of the U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi. Representatives from France, Germany, Britain and NATO participated in the discussions, which also examined a broader European security framework intended to prevent future conflicts with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted that any peace agreement include enforceable commitments from Western governments, rather than vague promises of assistance.
In an interview broadcast Thursday, Mr. Zelenskyy questioned precisely how Ukraine’s allies would respond if Russia violated a peace agreement and launched another invasion.
“If Russia starts again, what will happen?” he asked. “Who will do what, with what means, and when?”
The U.S. and European governments have previously discussed supplying military equipment, intelligence assistance and other support, as well as potentially deploying European troops following a ceasefire. However, the precise obligations Washington would assume remain unresolved.
Russia has rejected the prospect of Western troops stationed in Ukraine and insists that any agreement must also address Moscow’s own security demands.
Mr. Trump suggested last week that negotiations could produce a sweeping agreement extending beyond Ukraine to reshape Europe’s broader security arrangements. The administration has not publicly detailed how an Article 5-style guarantee would operate or whether American forces could be committed to defending Ukraine against renewed Russian aggression.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.