Zelensky presses Trump for half century security pact in peace talks

Monday 29 December 2025 - 14:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Zelensky presses Trump for half century security pact in peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pressing for United States security guarantees lasting up to 50 years, insisting that any eventual peace deal with Russia must be underpinned by long term commitments that go well beyond what is currently on the table. His position emerged after a meeting with former US President Donald Trump, during which the two discussed a draft peace framework that would include bilateral guarantees for Kyiv.

According to Zelensky, the proposal under discussion foresees strong US security assurances for a period of 15 years, with a mechanism to extend them. However, he has argued that this horizon is insufficient given the length and intensity of the conflict, which he dates back to the Russian annexation of Crimea and the start of fighting in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Zelensky told reporters that he urged Trump to consider expanding the guarantee period to 30, 40 or even 50 years, reflecting concern in Kyiv that any shorter arrangement might tempt Moscow to renew aggression once formal guarantees expire.

Zelensky described Trump’s reaction as cautious but open, saying the former president promised to “think about” the longer term proposal without making any firm pledge. Both men nonetheless portrayed their discussions as constructive and said there had been progress in narrowing differences over a 20 point peace plan. They indicated that talks had moved forward on core parameters for ending the full scale war, even as some of the most sensitive issues remained unresolved.

Among the outstanding questions are the future of territories in Donbas that remain under Russian control and the status and management of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Trump acknowledged that one or two “thorny issues” continue to block a final deal, while Zelensky maintained that the content of bilateral US Ukraine security guarantees is fully agreed from Kyiv’s perspective. Trump offered a more reserved assessment, suggesting that details still need work and that domestic political dynamics in Washington will shape what form any guarantees can ultimately take.

Any long term security pact would require approval from the United States Congress and from legislatures in other partner countries expected to take part in monitoring or enforcing the agreement. Zelensky said the guarantees would not be merely symbolic but would include concrete verification mechanisms and some form of international presence on Ukrainian territory, a concept Russia has repeatedly rejected when it involves troops from the North Atlantic alliance. The precise nature of that presence, whether advisory, monitoring or otherwise, has yet to be spelled out publicly.

Looking ahead, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that Ukraine’s partners will convene in Paris in early January to finalise each country’s specific contribution to the envisaged security package. Trump, for his part, said he intends to speak again with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his exchanges with Zelensky, after already holding a call with the Kremlin leader earlier the same day. Those conversations are expected to influence the shape and timing of any eventual ceasefire proposal.

Zelensky has repeatedly framed durable security guarantees as a precondition for any credible end to the war, warning that without them there is a real risk of a frozen conflict that could reignite at any moment. He has also pledged that any peace deal that affects Ukraine’s borders or security architecture will be put to a national referendum, a process that would require at least a 60 day ceasefire to organise and conduct a vote. For policymakers, diplomats and security analysts, the emerging negotiations highlight the central question of whether long duration bilateral guarantees can provide a viable alternative to full alliance membership while deterring further Russian aggression over the coming decades.