What are the possible security guarantees?
Is Trump’s peace plan the best deal Ukraine can get?
Many of Ukraine’s allies have expressed concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan amounts to a ‘wish list’ for Russia. But Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College and Queen’s University, says Ukraine is in a weak position and that Trump’s deal presents a ‘significant opportunity’ for both sides to find common ground in a way that meets everyone’s ‘reasonable objectives.’
As leaders from the coalition of the willing meet, security guarantees are at the top of the agenda. As Macron put it, the conditions for peace have to include “robust security guarantees,” not “paper guarantees.”
Under the U.S.’s 28-point peace plan backed by Russia, Ukraine would receive “reliable security guarantees.” Not many other details were known, except that NATO would not have troops on the ground in Ukraine. However, European fighter jets would be stationed in neighbouring Poland.
If Russia invades Ukraine again, the proposal stipulates that there would be a “decisive and co-ordinated military response.”
The EU’s counter-proposal was never officially released, but a number of media outlets including Reuters obtained copies.
Europe’s plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and stipulates that NATO will agree to not “permanently station troops under its command in Ukraine in peacetime.”
It also says that the U.S should provide a guarantee that mirrors NATO’s Article 5, which considers an armed attack against one member to be an attack on all.
