Ukraine close to security guarantees

December 17, 2025

In the latest round of diplomatic engagements with envoys of US President Donald Trump, Ukraine on Monday appeared to move closer to securing long-sought security guarantees, though a mutually acceptable agreement on territorial concessions remains out of reach. According to Reuters, discussions were held in Berlin between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European leaders, and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff along with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

During the talks, the US side pledged security guarantees for Ukraine that would be modelled on Nato’s Article 5, a core provision of the alliance that treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Zelenskyy has consistently maintained that robust security guarantees are a non-negotiable part of any peace settlement, ideally ones that are legally binding and approved by the US Congress. The current proposal marks the first time Trump has offered such assurances, signalling a potential shift in Washington’s stance as efforts intensify to bring an end to the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Two US officials told Reuters that the proposed guarantees would be “Article 5-like” in nature, though they stressed that the offer would not remain open indefinitely. Trump has been pushing for a swift resolution to the conflict, and officials indicated that the guarantees could include enhanced monitoring mechanisms and deconfliction measures aimed at preventing minor incidents from escalating into broader clashes.
Following the Berlin talks, Trump said he had spoken with Zelenskyy as well as leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Nato. Expressing optimism, Trump said multiple conversations had also taken place with Russian President Vladimir Putin and claimed progress was being made toward a deal.