Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
However, Ukraine is walking a thin diplomatic line.
A recent round of diplomatic briefings has raised new questions in Europe about Washington’s long-term stance on Ukraine.
Politico cites a European diplomat and a person with knowledge of the conversations, that US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, signaled that security commitments for Kyiv will only be discussed once a peace arrangement is in place, leaving allies uncertain about what comes next.
And that will most likely be a dealbreaker in the current push for peace.
What did he allegedly say?
Politico reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European partners on Nov. 25 that President Donald Trump intends to take up the matter of long-term guarantees after a settlement is signed.
According to the outlet, his comments came during a call with EU counterparts, where he offered reassurance that the issue had not been dropped.
The presentation of Rubio’s comments has not been independently verified, and has been refuted by U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
“Secretary Rubio, along with the entire Trump administration, has clearly underscored that security guarantees would need to be part of any peace deal, as he has consistently outlined in both public and private,” he said, according to Politico.
Ukraine demands guarantees before peace
Ukrainian officials have insisted publicly that any peace accord must contain binding protections to stop Russia from regrouping and attacking again.
Their position, repeated throughout the war, has emphasized that a ceasefire without safeguards would simply give Moscow space to prepare a new offensive.
Is it even possible to break the deadlock?
With Ukraine demanding robust security guarantees before signing any peace agreement, the U.S. allegedly wanting the deal to be signed before discussing the security guarantees, and the Kremlin outright refusing foreing boots on the ground in Ukraine, the negotiations seems to have reached a dead end.
But the question is, what consequences another failed round of peacetalks could have.
The biggest risk for the Ukrainian defense is that the U.S. will try and presure Ukraine into accepting a peace plan by threatening to stop providing intelligence to the Ukrainian army – intelligence deemed vital for the Ukrainian efforts to strike strategical targets deep in Russian territory.
Sources: Politico, CNN, Kyiv Independent
