President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that security guarantees for Ukraine must be signed before any broader agreements aimed at ending the war, stressing that such guarantees are essential for trust and long-term stability.
Speaking during a briefing in Munich, Zelenskyy said the United States has made clear its desire to achieve peace as soon as possible.
“The United States has openly stated its position to us that it wants to achieve peace as soon as possible. That is absolutely true. We feel it: they want it more than the Russians do,” he said.
According to the president, the U.S. side has expressed interest in signing all necessary documents together as part of a comprehensive settlement. However, Zelenskyy argued that security commitments should come first.
“When they said this, I openly responded that I believe it would be better to sign security guarantees first — this would be better for Ukraine and for trust among all of us,” he explained.
Zelenskyy emphasized that while Ukrainians trust the American side, the country has endured nearly four years of Russian attacks without a resolution to the war.
“So far no one has been able to put an end to this war,” he said. “That is why I said we must provide this hope. It is not a gift. To give hope to Ukrainians means to provide us with security guarantees first.”
The president acknowledged that the final outcome does not depend solely on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also revealed that the United States has proposed security guarantees lasting 15 years, but Kyiv is seeking a longer-term commitment.
“Today we met with senators and told them that we very much want to extend the duration of security guarantees so that they are more effective for investors,” he said, noting that business leaders require assurances that extend beyond five or ten years.
“Today we have a proposal from the American side for 15 years; we would like 20 years or more — 30. What the administration and Congress will agree to, we will see,” Zelenskyy added.
