Talks on security guarantees have so far left some key elements unresolved, including how long such guarantees would last.

Source: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference in The Hague, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy noted that despite many rounds of detailed negotiations on possible security guarantees, some issues remain open, in particular whether the guarantees would be indefinite.

"I cannot say for how many years this would be, or whether certain guarantees would be limited by specific time frames. We are not discussing this yet," he said, speaking about talks with the United States.

At the same time, Zelenskyy stressed that a key and critically important requirement for Ukraine is that these guarantees "must be approved by the US Congress".

Quote: "We believe that such guarantees, ratified by the Congress, will work."

More details: Zelenskyy has reiterated that the security guarantees under discussion are built on the principle of Article Five of NATO's Washington Treaty, although he has not gone into detail about what this would entail.

Zelenskyy said that even if the guarantees are agreed, Ukraine will still not have absolute certainty that aggression will not be repeated. For this reason, a separate element of the talks on security guarantees concerns how partners would act if Russia were to launch a new attack on Ukraine despite the guarantees.

Quote: "We want to understand how partners would respond to new aggression. Believe me, I ask partners some rather uncomfortable questions. If there is aggression, how will the United States respond? How will European partners act? How will the world react? Sanctions, weapons, responses at sea, on the battlefield and so on."

More details: In addition, Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed at the press conference that, in Ukraine's view, an European Union membership is in itself a separate security guarantee, "because it is a geopolitical decision".

Background:

• The Kremlin has responded to a call by Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz for a Christmas ceasefire.
• Zelenskyy has said earlier what he expects from partners if the Kremlin refuses to accept solutions worked out with the United States.

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