European leaders push for security guarantees on Ukraine

“The leaders of France, Germany, Finland, Italy, and the UK, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte, showed a united front in the talks with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy” - we can read in EuroNews.

Safety guarantees and more

On what did these politicians focus when commenting on the meeting in Washington? One of the most frequently mentioned topics was probably “security guarantees” for Ukraine.

„To achieve peace, it will be necessary to provide Ukraine with solid security guarantees” - wrote French President Emmanuel Macron. „Security guarantees are a prerequisite for preventing war from happening again” - said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of security guarantees and expressing optimism about a potential trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin.

In contrast, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasised the need for a ceasefire as soon as possible.

„Today’s meeting in Washington with Presidents Trump and Zelensky, and our European partners, was successful. However, the next steps will be more complicated. We must put pressure on Russia. A ceasefire must precede further talks” - wrote the politician, who reportedly told the American president that further negotiations should only take place if Ukraine participates and „the guns fall silent”.

„It is also clear to us that pressure on Russia must continue until peace is established” - wrote Emmanuel Macron in a similar vein.

What kind od guarantees?

Returning to the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine, the most important question remains: how can these guarantees be implemented effectively? Following the last Washington summit, it has become clear that this guarantee does not extend to Ukraine’s potential membership of the North Atlantic Alliance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made this quite clear, pointing out that no talks had been held on this subject. However, he added that „the leaders of the United States and Europe are discussing security guarantees for Ukraine under Article 5”.

Other ideas for ensuring Ukraine’s security include the formation of multinational corps comprising soldiers from selected European NATO countries. Another option is the idea recently presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whereby European countries would guarantee the purchase of American weapons for Kyiv. The cost of the package could be as high as $100 billion.