Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the United States has offered Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years during discussions on a revised peace plan with Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday.
Trump indicated that an agreement on this point was “about 95% complete”, but Zelensky said he would prefer guarantees lasting up to 50 years.
Zelensky highlighted territorial issues and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as the remaining unresolved matters, while providing limited comment on the future of the contested Donbas region, according to BBC.
Russia had previously rejected key parts of the plan, but a Kremlin spokesperson agreed on Monday with Trump’s assessment that peace is closer, reported Tass.
Speaking to reporters at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Zelensky reiterated that a comprehensive peace agreement is about 90% complete, a figure he had mentioned before the visit.
Both U.S. and Ukrainian leaders also indicated progress on a critical issue – security guarantees for Ukraine. Reuters reported that Zelensky hopes any guarantees would take effect once Kyiv signs a peace deal.
“Without security guarantees, this war cannot be considered truly over. We cannot accept that it has ended, because with such a neighbor, the risk of renewed aggression remains,” Zelensky explained to AFP.
He added that he wanted the U.S. to consider guarantees for 30, 40, or even 50 years. The U.S. has not commented yet on the timeframe, while Trump stated on Sunday that a deal was near and expected European allies to take on a major part of the effort with U.S. support.
For Zelensky, two key issues remain unresolved within the plan: territorial matters and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, located in Russian-controlled territory.
Currently, Moscow controls about 75% of Donetsk and 99% of neighboring Luhansk, both part of Donbas. Trump noted after the meeting that a deal on Donbas remains unresolved but is much closer. The fate of this region has been a major obstacle throughout negotiations, with Russia unwilling to compromise on its goal of full control.
