Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says President Trump has offered a security pledge that would last for 15 years, but Ukraine is pushing for longer. On Monday, the day after a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, Zelensky said Trump proposed US-backed security guarantees for 15 years after the war ends, with an option to extend. Kyiv is pushing for at least 30 years and up to 50, arguing that only a long-term, legally binding commitment can deter Russia from attacking again, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Zelensky said Trump told him he would "think about" a longer duration and confirmed that any deal would need congressional approval. Russia illegally seized Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula almost 12 years ago. The full-scale invasion followed in early 2022. "I told him that the war is already lasting almost 15 years, so we would really like for the guarantees to last longer," Zelensky said, per the Washington Post. "I told him we would very much like to consider the option of 30, 40, 50 years. And that this would be a historic decision by President Trump. And the president said that he'll consider it."
Trump has also emphasized that European allies would be expected to shoulder a major role. Details of the security guarantees are unclear, the AP reports. Zelensky said Monday that it would include the "presence" of partners to monitor the peace deal, though Russia insists it won't accept the presence of troops from NATO countries in Ukraine.
The security framework is one part of a US-driven 20-point plan to end the conflict and to shape a postwar "prosperity package" for Ukraine. Key issues remain unresolved, including the fate of Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Washington is exploring a "free economic zone" in contested parts of Donetsk, tied to a 60-day cease-fire and a Ukrainian referendum, but Moscow continues to demand a Ukrainian withdrawal from the region. Zelensky insists Ukraine cannot legally or morally give up territory.
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