Zelensky revealed that the US has offered security guarantees to Ukraine for 15 years if a peace agreement is signed, but Ukraine hopes the US will guarantee security for up to 50 years at most.
Foreign news agencies reported on 29 Dec 2025 that Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, disclosed that the US proposed security guarantees for Ukraine lasting 15 years during his discussions about a peace plan with US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday (28 Dec).
The US President said the agreement on this issue is "almost 95%" complete, but the Ukrainian leader later stated he desires security guarantees lasting as long as 50 years.
Zelensky also said that issues regarding territory and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russia, remain the last unresolved points, with only minimal discussion about the future of the Donbas region where fighting has reduced.
Previously, Russia rejected key parts of the peace plan. However, Russian government news agency Tass reported on Monday that a Kremlin spokesperson agreed with Trump's assessment that peace is getting closer.
On Sunday, Zelensky told reporters after a meeting at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that he believes the overall peace agreement is more than 90% complete, the same figure he had mentioned before this visit.
Both US and Ukrainian leaders signaled progress on a long-standing key issue: security guarantees for Ukraine. Reuters reported that Zelensky hopes any security guarantees would take effect immediately upon Ukraine signing the agreement.
"Without security guarantees, this war cannot truly be considered over. We cannot accept that it has ended because with such a neighbor, the risk of repeated aggression always remains," Zelensky explained, according to AFP.
He added that he wants the US to consider the possibility of extending security guarantees to 30, 40, or even 50 years.
The US has not commented on the proposed time frames. On Sunday, Trump said the agreement was close to completion and expressed hope that European allies would "take on the majority of responsibility" in this effort, with the US providing support.
Currently, Russia controls about 75% of Donetsk province and approximately 99% of the adjacent Luhansk province; together, these two provinces are known as the Donbas region.
The fate of these areas has been a major obstacle throughout negotiations, as Russia has shown no willingness to compromise on its goal of fully occupying the Donbas region.
On Monday, the Kremlin government reiterated that Ukraine should withdraw troops from the areas it controls in Donbas, while Ukraine insists that these areas could become a free economic zone overseen by its own forces. Zelensky emphasized that any discussions on this matter should include the views of the Ukrainian people.
The US President has repeatedly changed his stance regarding Ukraine's lost territories. In September, he surprised observers by suggesting Ukraine might regain those territories, but later shifted to an opposite position.
Additionally, Trump proposed the possibility of a trilateral meeting between the US, Russia, and Ukraine, saying it could happen "when the time is right."
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:bbc