Right from the word go, there was a very studied caution in Washington’s air. In an unprecedented occasion that saw almost all of Europe in a security huddle in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump was seen playing the role he loves the most – brokering peace.
In contrast to his now infamous showdown where he berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Monday event was peaceful, diplomatic, and very cautious in its approach.
While Zelensky seemed to have agreed to Trump’s criticism and donned what the internet called a ‘half suit’ minus a tie, the bigger question remains – will he yield to Putin’s demand and cede the key region of Donbas?
Do the Washington talks mean an immediate ceasefire? Will the US send troops on the ground? What about NATO’s pledge? As top European leaders hammer out a peace plan, here’s what you need to know about the key aspect of the negotiations – security guarantees.
1. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has termed the security guarantees a major breakthrough for the peace talks. Speaking to reporters shortly after receiving Zelensky, Trump explicitly did not rule out the possibility of the US sending troops to Ukraine.
2. When asked what he needs as part of security guarantees, Zelensky replied with a firm “everything.” He spoke about how his country needs more weapons and a stronger army to make the guarantees work on the ground.
3. The terms under the security guarantees may represent a framework of agreement that will ensure the protection of Ukraine without NATO’s direct involvement. Russia, for its part, is averse to such an idea.
4. Steve Witkoff, the US President’s special envoy, had previously described such guarantees as “Article 5-like protections.” This would be very similar to the safety net granted to NATO member nations.
5: Trump has been pushing for a trilateral meeting between the US, Ukraine and Russia. France, however, wants a quadrilateral summit. During the public remarks that were broadcasted live by world media, French President Emmanuel Macron said that security threat in Ukraine is worry for entire Europe. So, should there be any talks in near future, it should have a European leader at the table.
6: What is Article 5-like security guarantees? Under Article 5 of the NATO, the arrangement means a “collective defence”, which is part of the NATO treaty. In simple terms, this means that an attack or invasion against one member nation will be see as attack on whole alliance and all member states together will take action against the aggressor. Until recently, Trump had dismissed such a security guarantee for Ukraine.
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