Zelenskyy outlines Ukraine’s key security guarantee pillars

The first pillar is ensuring the Ukrainian Defense Forces are equipped with sufficient weaponry. This involves securing funding to maintain the current strength of the military defending Ukraine’s borders.

“No one is asking for more because no one will give more. But we cannot settle for less—we’re not going to conduct such experiments,” he stated.

Arming the military involves three tracks: domestic production (such as drones), European production (air defenses and artillery), and the PURL initiative, through which NATO countries procure American weapons for Ukraine.

The second pillar is NATO. Zelenskyy noted that while Ukraine has not been offered full NATO membership, partners are proposing a “light NATO” alternative. He emphasized that Ukraine needs clarity on what partners are prepared to offer under these arrangements, with discussions planned to begin on September 1.

The third pillar is sanctions against Russia, aimed at countering potential future aggression and utilizing Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine.

“What are security guarantees? If Russia attacks us again, say from the sea—who will defend us, what will they do, and how? Answering these simple questions requires seeing who is ready to provide what and within what timeframe,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that Ukraine seeks legally binding security guarantees, supported by parliaments and the U.S. Congress, to avoid ineffective agreements like the Budapest Memorandum or Minsk Accords. “We want a serious document,” he added.

Addressing proposals for a “buffer zone” in Ukraine, Zelenskyy argued that such a zone already exists.

“This buffer zone—I call it a ‘dead zone,’ others call it a ‘gray zone’—it already exists. There’s no need to waste time or fall for additional conditions from Russia or other dreamers. If Russia wants more distance from us, they can retreat deeper into occupied territory. There’s no need to pull anything back—it’s already been pulled back,” he said.

Background on security guarantees

U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff stated that during a meeting in Alaska, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on “reliable security guarantees” for Ukraine, including protections similar to NATO’s Article 5.

A “coalition of the willing” has expressed readiness to contribute to Ukraine’s security by deploying troops to its territory.

The extent of U.S. support remains unclear. The White House indicated that Washington could assist with coordination and possibly provide other security measures. Trump emphasized that the U.S. would not send troops but did not rule out aiding allies with “air support.”

Following a White House meeting, Zelenskyy said security guarantees would include a package of U.S. weapons, such as aircraft and air defense systems, that Ukraine cannot produce domestically.