The key facts

  • Zelensky allowed for discussion of security guarantees for Russia, but considers guarantees for Ukraine the priority
  • In his view, guarantees as understood by Moscow mean a change in the security system in Europe and the world
  • According to Ukrainska Pravda, Kyiv plans at the talks in Abu Dhabi to shift the focus from territories to a security system

Zelensky on possible guarantees for Moscow

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that Russia could receive security guarantees as part of a peace agreement to settle the conflict. This is reported by the Financial Times. According to him, Western powers may discuss Moscow's demands for guarantees, however, as the Ukrainian leader believes, it is first necessary to agree on security guarantees for Ukraine itself.

Kyiv's position and Europe's involvement

“First of all, we need to resolve the issue of this war, and only then seek answers to the questions that Russia raises based on its own views and expectations regarding security. <...> In my view, security guarantees for Russia — in the form in which Russia understands them — mean a change in the security system in Europe and the world,” Zelensky said. He also emphasized that Europe must take part in discussions on settlement and security guarantees: “If we move to a security guarantees format and an agreement is reached that these guarantees will require Europe's participation, then Europe must be part of these discussions.”

Context of previous publications

The statement came against the backdrop of a series of publications about upcoming agreements. On October 26, Ukrainska Pravda reportedthat at trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi in November, Kyiv wants to shift the conversation from the topic of territories to discussing a security system for Ukraine and Europe after the conflict ends. Around the same time, the Telegraph wrotethat Russia may demand that NATO return its military presence to the 1997 level. Earlier, on October 22, the Washington Post reportedthat American and European officials are developing an “extensive proposal” for talks with Russia concerning Europe's security after the end of the conflict in Ukraine.

What is known and what remains unclear

A comparison of the publications shows that the issue of security guarantees is becoming a central element of a possible settlement: Kyiv, according to Ukrainska Pravda, intends to discuss the security architecture rather than territories, while Western officials, according to the Washington Post, are preparing a corresponding proposal. At the same time, the specific parameters of the guarantees — both for Ukraine and for Russia — are not disclosed in the publications, and Moscow's position on returning NATO to the 1997 level remains, according to the Telegraph, only a possible demand rather than a confirmed agreement.