Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv requires any security agreement with the United States to pass a Congressional vote, include NATO Article 5-style collective defense provisions, and specify exactly how Washington would respond to renewed Russian aggression, he told journalists during an online press conference on 18 December.
The demands signal Ukraine's determination to secure commitments that would survive US administration changes—a lesson learned from the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which provided assurances but no enforcement mechanism when Russia invaded in 2014 and again in 2022.
Ukraine's three red lines for security guarantees"We are working on security guarantees with the US. For us, the fundamental things are that this must be voted on in the United States Congress, that these guarantees must be legally binding," Zelenskyy said at the press conference attended by Euromaidan Press.
The Ukrainian leader outlined three core requirements:
- Congressional approval — to ensure guarantees are legally binding and cannot be easily reversed by future administrations
- NATO Article 5-style provisions — collective defense commitments similar to the alliance's mutual defense clause
- Clear response protocols — explicit mechanisms detailing how partners would react if Russia attacks Ukraine again
Zelenskyy confirmed that negotiations also cover weapons supplies, military strengthening measures, and force structure. He revealed one specific figure: Ukraine's armed forces should remain at least 800,000 personnel strong under any future security arrangement.
Details under wraps until deal finalizedThe president declined to elaborate on specific armaments or military capabilities under discussion, saying both sides agreed to keep details confidential.
"Regarding details on armaments and so on, we agreed with the US: until this document is finalized, we won't discuss details publicly," Zelenskyy said.
This approach marks a shift from earlier phases of US-Ukraine security discussions, when Kyiv officials more openly discussed their wishlist of weapons systems and defense capabilities.
No agreed peace plan exists, Zelenskyy clarifiesWhen asked about the "latest version" of Russia's peace plan, Zelenskyy pushed back against the framing entirely.
"I don't know what the 'last version of Russia's peace plan' means. There is a plan that the US discussed with us and is discussing with Russia," he said. "The last version of any plan is an agreed version—there is no agreed version yet."
The statement suggests negotiations remain in flux, with no finalized framework acceptable to all parties. It also implicitly rejects the notion that Russia has presented a coherent peace proposal that Ukraine must simply accept or reject.
Trump contact on hold until documents readyZelenskyy said he last spoke with US President Donald Trump two weeks ago, describing the conversation as a briefing on how negotiations had progressed.
"I think now, when we have finalization of the documents, we will get in contact," Zelenskyy said, indicating that the next Trump-Zelenskyy conversation hinges on reaching concrete agreements rather than continuing preliminary discussions.
After Budapest, Ukraine demands ink that bindsZelenskyy's insistence on Congressional approval reflects hard-won skepticism about executive agreements. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum, signed by the US, UK, and Russia, provided security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for surrendering its nuclear arsenal. When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, those assurances proved unenforceable.
A Congressional vote would elevate any US-Ukraine security pact to treaty-like status, making it far more difficult for future presidents to abandon. It would also signal bipartisan commitment to Ukraine's defense at a time when some Republican lawmakers have questioned continued support.
The reference to NATO Article 5—which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all—indicates Ukraine seeks the strongest possible commitment short of actual NATO membership, which remains blocked by alliance members wary of direct confrontation with Russia.
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