Ukraine to start talks with US on ‘security guarantees’ – Kiev

Kiev and Washington are to enter into talks on future “specific” US security guarantees for Ukraine in early August, an aide to President Vladimir Zelensky, Andrey Yermak, told journalists on Sunday. The negotiations are expected to start as early as next week, he added. 

Yermak described a set of security arrangements as a temporary measure needed until Ukraine joins NATO, which he called “the most reliable security guarantee.” According to the presidential aide, the set of measures, which is to be listed in a future bilateral agreement between Kiev and Washington, would involve military and financial assistance for Ukraine as well as “sanctions and punishment for the aggressor.” 

The supposed treaty would include “clearly defined forms and mechanisms of support,” Yermak said, without naming any of such mechanisms. According to the head of the presidential staff, Kiev expects the guarantees to ensure Ukraine’s “ability to win” the ongoing conflict with Moscow and “contain” what he called “Russia’s aggression” in the future. 

Zelesnky’s aide also said that agreements with the US and other Western nations, which are supposed to follow Washington’s example, are to be based on a joint declaration issued by Ukraine and the G7 nations in Vilnius in mid-July. Yermak claimed that more than a “dozen” other nations had already joined this declaration as well but did not name any of them. 

The Ukrainian media reported, though, that the deal reached by Ukraine and the G7 nations does not involve any specific support mechanisms but only some “framework” agreements. 

The text of the July declaration states that the G7 nations “will each work with Ukraine to establish specific, long-term bilateral security commitments and arrangements,” including security assistance with “modern military equipment”, support for Ukraine’s defense industry, training for Ukrainian troops, as well as information exchange and cyber defense aid. 

Under the deal, Kiev is expected to “contribute positively to the security of partners” as well as continue the reforms demanded by its Western backers. 

Neither the US nor any other G7 nations have commented on the alleged future bilateral security agreements with Ukraine so far. 

In mid-July, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow has nothing against security guarantees for Ukraine as long as its own security is not compromised. “There is just one restriction,” he said, adding that “ensuring one nation’s security should not pose a threat to another nation’s security.”

“As for Ukraine’s NATO membership, we have repeatedly stated that it creates a threat to Russia’s security,” the president said, adding that it was one of the very reasons that prompted Russia to launch its military campaign in Ukraine in the first place.