Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that a major question still hangs over the Trump administration’s push for a cease-fire agreement to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion: what concrete security guarantees Ukraine will receive if Moscow attacks again.
“There is one question I — and all Ukrainians — want to get an answer to: if Russia again starts a war, what will our partners do?” Zelensky told Bloomberg, underscoring that Kyiv has yet to receive firm commitments from the U.S. and its allies.
The negotiations remain bogged down over Russia’s sweeping demands — including a reduced Ukrainian military, the surrender of the entire Donbas region, and the abandonment of any NATO aspirations. Zelensky flatly rejected those conditions, stressing that Donbas, home to the Donetsk fortress belt, has “staved off Russian invasions for more than a decade” and is essential to Ukraine’s long-term security.
He added that Ukraine needs explicit guarantees from NATO, particularly the United States, that the alliance would intervene if Russia invades again. U.S. officials have floated protections modeled on NATO’s Article 5, treating an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the coalition itself, though no final framework has been presented.
Zelensky also urged that the European Union be included in negotiations, pushing back on U.S. efforts to sideline European concerns. “There are questions that concern Europe — and we cannot decide for Europe,” he said, noting that EU membership must be part of Ukraine’s broader security architecture.
Zelensky, currently in London, is set to receive a detailed briefing from Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on recent talks between his delegation and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who met with Kremlin officials last week. He reiterated he is prepared to meet Trump directly if negotiators make progress.
