US President Donald Trump’s advisers have allegedly proposed offering Ukraine Article 5-style security guarantees as part of a broader peace plan, according to Axios. A senior US official told the publication the proposed guarantee would be legally binding and approved by Congress.
This comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, while the US under Trump has been pushing for a peace deal, based on Moscow's demands. According to Axios, the White House is pressuring Ukraine to accept the plan.
Trump advisers push NATO-style guarantee linked to peace terms
Axios reports that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 15 December in Berlin. The meeting will also involve the leaders of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Two White House officials told Axios that the meeting aims to reach an agreement on the US plan for peace in Ukraine.
A White House official said the US believes most issues are allegedly close to resolution, but Ukraine's territorial concessions to Russia remain the key sticking point. The official pointed to public remarks made by Zelenskyy on 11 December as a potential signal of progress.
During those remarks, Zelenskyy said that the fairness of the proposed compromises “will be answered by the people of Ukraine” through a referendum or election. The same day, he also stated that he was skeptical of the US proposal for a “free economic zone” in the Donbas and is seeking changes and clarifications. Around 14% of the Donbas remains under Ukrainian control.
A White House official told Axios that the US included Russia’s demand for full control of Donbas in the plan, but proposed making the contested area a demilitarized zone. Holding a vote during wartime would be difficult, but Axios reports that during a 12 December meeting, European officials said they would support Zelenskyy if he proposed a referendum.
US proposal based on three agreements, Axios reports
Axios reports that Witkoff and Kushner discussed the demilitarized zone proposal with the national security advisers of Ukraine, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. A White House official said those talks, along with recent US-Ukraine discussions on 11 December, led Trump to send his advisers to Europe. Another official told Axios:
“They believe there could be a chance at peace and the [US] President trusts them.”
Axios states that negotiations on the security guarantees for Ukraine have made significant progress. A senior US official said the Trump administration is willing to give Ukraine a guarantee based on NATO’s Article 5 that would be legally binding and approved by Congress.
“We want to give the Ukrainians a security guarantee that will not be a blank check on the one hand but will be strong enough on the other hand. We are willing to send it to Congress to vote on it,” the US official said.
The same official told Axios the current framework includes three separate agreements: one on peace, one on security guarantees, and one on reconstruction. According to the official, the latest talks provided Ukraine with “a full day-after vision” for the first time.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukraine. The US official claimed,
“According to the current proposal the war will end with Ukraine keeping the sovereignty over 80% of its territory, will get the biggest and strongest security guarantee it has ever got and will get a very significant prosperity package.”
