The key facts
- Zelensky said at a press conference in Oslo that the US confirmed its readiness to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine modeled on NATO Article 5.
- The proposals have been put into a document; US special envoy Steve Witkoff has been tasked with delivering it to Moscow.
- The content of the agreement is not being disclosed; Zelensky previously spoke of guarantees being tied to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from part of Donbas.
Statement in Oslo
Volodymyr Zelensky, at a press conference in Oslo following talks with American and European representatives, said that the US confirmed its readiness to discuss providing Ukraine with security guarantees comparable in strength to Article 5 of the NATO treaty on collective defense. According to him, Washington agreed with the need for strong security guarantees for Kyiv.
The drafted document and Witkoff's role
The parties considered several options, including mechanisms modeled on NATO Article 5. All the proposals, according to Zelensky, have been put into a document that is to become the subject of further negotiations. US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff has been tasked with presenting the document to Moscow. Zelensky expects to learn Moscow's position within a day of the American diplomat's visit to Russia.
Undisclosed conditions and the EU's position
The content of the possible agreement is not being fully disclosed. Zelensky previously stated that Washington ties the provision of security guarantees to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the part of Donbas still under Kyiv's control; he did not clarify whether this condition remains in the document under discussion. Earlier, the EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas accused the US of attempting to force Ukraine to capitulate on Russia's terms, believing that the Ukrainian authorities did not agree to such terms thanks to EU support, and demanded that Europe be given a seat at the negotiating table.
