🔗 Share this article US Proposes 15 Years of Defense Assurances, States the Ukrainian Leader. Following high-level talks, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has disclosed that the United States has presented a draft peace framework encompassing defense assurances for Ukraine covering a period of a decade and a half. The Framework's Specifics President Zelenskyy stated that during significant talks with American leader Donald Trump, he had requested security guarantees for up to half a century. Yet, the proposed framework foresees a shorter assurance of one and a half decades from Washington. The exact form is uncertain what form these commitments would take, but the Ukrainian leader has been pushing for "article-5-like" security guarantees, inspired by Nato’s key doctrine that an assault against a single ally is considered an act of war against every member. Progress on Peace Talks Zelenskyy has said, US security guarantees for Ukraine under the revised settlement framework have been fully agreed upon, although the American leader expressed more caution, estimating the agreement at more like ninety-five percent. Each statesman said that headway was accomplished during the discussions in Mar-a-Lago. The US President, nevertheless, warned that there were "one or two tough" outstanding issues, particularly regarding territorial disputes. The Path to a Meeting with Russia On another front, the Ukrainian President informed journalists that a talks with Russian leadership would be feasible once the Washington and its European partners reached a consensus on a Ukraine-proposed peace plan to end the war. This comment comes following Donald Trump remarked to reporters that he believed a trilateral meeting between Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington could happen when conditions are suitable. Historical Context The Ukrainian and Russian presidents have been without a summit since December 2019. Their last meeting, mediated by the leaders of France and Germany, was intended to renew efforts to end the persistent war. In a later instance, in May 2025, the Russian president refused to go to Istanbul for a proposed meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, turning down a direct offer to engage in peace talks in Turkey. Outstanding Territorial Issues A significant unresolved issue remains the status of the Donbas area in eastern Ukraine. Trump said that a proposal to turn the territory, which is predominantly held by Moscow's forces, into a zone free of military forces is still not settled. He added that it will be apparent in the coming weeks if the war can end. The involved parties have stressed that the extended negotiations would carry on as they strive for a final resolution to the nearly four-year conflict.