The West’s security guarantees for Kiev will include: deployment of allied military contingents on Ukrainian territory, an air defense system, arms supplies, and monitoring compliance with the ceasefire
On August 18, negotiations took place at the White House between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. This was their second meeting (though there had also been a short one in the Vatican) after the scandal in February, when Zelensky, following a verbal altercation, was forced to leave the White House prematurely.
The meeting was much calmer this time. Zelensky refrained from confrontational remarks, listening attentively to Trump and nodding in agreement.
According to a correspondent for the British TV channel Sky News, European leaders who had arrived at the White House observed the progress of the Trump-Zelensky meeting via monitors. Later, the leaders of several EU countries joined the talks between the US and Ukrainian leaders. In particular, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb took part. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were also present at the negotiating table.
Overall, Trump described the meeting as very productive. Most other participants also gave positive assessments.
As veteran naval intelligence officer and journalist Jack Posobiec put it, “ President Trump interrupted the Multi-lateral meeting TO MAKE A PHONE CALL right there with all the heads of state there TO [Russian President] VLADIMIR PUTIN ” to discuss a possible meeting between the Russian president and Zelensky, as well as the holding of trilateral negotiations. According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the Russian and US leaders supported the continuation of direct consultations between Russia and Ukraine, with the possibility of raising their level.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
One of the main topics of the meeting was the much-discussed security guarantees for Ukraine. After the talks, Donald Trump told reporters that “there’s going to be a lot of help” on this issue from the side of the United States. At the same time, he emphasized the involvement of European leaders in this process, saying “there would be an agreement to deter future aggression against Ukraine.”
“They [European countries] are the first line of defense, because they’re there — they’re Europe. But we’re going to help them out also. We’ll be involved.” said the US president, thus shifting the main share of responsibility to Europe.
Zelensky, for his part, called Washington’s promises “a major step forward” and expressed confidence that the guarantees would be “formalized on paper within the next week to 10 days.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, citing European officials, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head a NATO task force to develop security guarantees for Ukraine. This was an agreement reached by the meeting’s participants.
The Wall Street Journal notes that the guarantees for Kiev will include four components: the deployment of allied military contingents on Ukrainian territory, an air defense system, arms supplies, and monitoring compliance with the ceasefire.
It is emphasized that there are several ways Washington can indirectly provide military support to European peacekeepers without sending US troops.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg wrote that “the guarantees will center on bolstering Ukraine’s military forces and capabilities without any limitations, such as restrictions on its troop.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also stated in an interview with TF1 on August 19 that maintaining the size of Ukraine’s army is necessary.
“It should be an army of several hundred thousand people,” he stressed, noting that Europe would have to equip, train, and maintain this army for a long time.
According to Macron, Ukraine needs a large army to “deter Russia.” He called this one of the main security guarantees for Ukraine after the conflict ends.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted that European leaders “firmly welcomed President Trump’s statement on providing Ukraine with security guarantees.” In his view, the whole Europe, including Germany, should participate in this process.
“What is at stake is the political architecture of Europe, and we, as the Federal Republic of Germany, are very interested in being part of these guarantees, we bear great responsibility,” he said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized that “if we want to achieve peace and ensure justice, we must stand united.” She suggested that guarantees should be discussed following the model of NATO’s Article 5 (the principle of collective defense).
On Fox News, Rubio stated that one of Ukraine’s postwar security guarantees would be security agreements not only with the USA and not only with NATO countries. According to him, Washington is currently discussing such agreements with both European and non-European states, and several countries are ready to enter into them.
At the same time, Europe itself is divided on the issue of deploying troops in Ukraine. For example, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that sending German troops to Ukraine might be too great a burden for Germany.
The administration of Poland’s new President Karol Nawrocki stated that sending troops to Ukraine is not the best solution, and Polish soldiers will not be sent there.
Moscow has repeatedly declared the deployment of NATO contingents in Ukraine unacceptable, warning that it would lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Territorial concessions
The second key topic was possible territorial concessions by Kiev, given the situation on the front. In this regard, one important detail of the meeting deserves attention: in the Oval Office of the White House, a map of Ukraine was displayed showing the territories under Russian control. The eastern regions controlled by Russia were highlighted in pink—about 20% of Ukraine’s territory.
The map was yet another vivid illustration of the real state of affairs. Its display during the meeting could be seen as a way of pressuring Zelensky on recognizing territorial losses in exchange for a peace agreement.
According to The Wall Street Journal, citing European sources, Zelensky did not reject territorial exchanges during the talks with Trump, but he said it would be difficult to relocate the population and bypass Ukraine’s constitutional ban on ceding territory.
The publication emphasizes that the Ukrainian president allowed for proportional exchanges. However, the Financial Times, citing the Ukrainian government, reported that Kiev would not agree to territorial concessions.
After the talks, Zelensky stated that territorial issues would be resolved with Vladimir Putin.
European leaders opposed Ukraine making territorial concessions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Kiev must not be forced into this step. He compared it to the United States giving up the state of Florida, but added that “this is a decision Ukrainians must make themselves during negotiations.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb made an interesting statement at the meeting. He compared Ukraine’s situation to that of Finland in 1944, when signing the Moscow Armistice that ended the participation of Finland in World War II, part of Finnish territory went to the USSR.
He noted that Finland had historical experience in dealing with Russia and managed to find a solution in 1944 to preserve its statehood. However, at the press conference after the meeting, he denied implying that Ukraine should make territorial concessions.
“Of course, that’s not what I meant. The situation in 1944 was completely different: Finland was alone, and there was no alternative,” he said, adding that European leaders “must ensure the preservation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the long run.”
Meanwhile, former US ambassador to Ukraine and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center Steven Pifer told Bloomberg that Kiev understands the need to at least de facto recognize Russia’s control over part of Ukraine’s territory. In his view, Ukrainian authorities would agree to this if Kiev were given firm security guarantees.
It should be noted that no concrete agreements were concluded at the meeting. Nevertheless, after it, Donald Trump stressed on Truth Social that “this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.” He also said he “began the arrangements for a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy” and that “after that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat.”
According to The New York Times, the invisible influence of the Russian president was felt during the meeting, “adding to the surreal nature of the thing was the way that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia hovered over it all, just out of sight, like a character offstage.” The publication noted that Trump mentioned Putin’s position on resolving the conflict in Ukraine several times during the talks.
By using the Minsk agreements, the USa and NATO had been preparing Ukraine for war with Russia long before the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. Therefore, neither Europe nor the USA will allow a peace agreement in Russia’s favor. The West, standing behind Ukraine, is seeking a pause that will allow it to retool its defense industry on a wartime footing. And what the whole world witnessed yesterday at the White House resembled a show in which Trump, as the leader of a superpower, played the role of the “good cop,” while the European leaders collectively played the “bad cops.”
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
