Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has disclosed that he formally asked the United States to consider long-term defence commitments lasting 30 to 50 years, arguing that the length of the war demands guarantees that go beyond short-term arrangements.
Addressing the press after a high-level meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy said the issue was raised directly during their discussions.
He explained that the current conflict, which Ukraine traces back to Russia’s actions in 2014, including the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of fighting in eastern Ukraine, has already spanned nearly 15 years.
“I told him that the war has already been going on for almost 15 years. That’s why we would really like the guarantees to be longer. I said we would like to consider 30, 40, or 50 years. That would be a historic decision by President Trump,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump’s Response to the Ukraine Request
According to the Ukrainian president, President Trump responded that he would consider the proposal. No final decision has been announced on the duration of the proposed commitments.
Zelenskyy further clarified that, under the current peace framework being discussed, if a peace agreement were concluded today, U.S. defence commitments to Ukraine would be set for 15 years, with an option to extend.
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He noted, however, that this timeframe remains open to revision as negotiations continue.
He added that longer-term arrangements were under active consideration, noting that options for commitments lasting 30, 40, or even 50 years could form part of the final agreement if consensus is reached.
Zelenskyy has consistently maintained that durable peace will depend on credible, long-term assurances from Ukraine’s partners, particularly the United States.
He argues that extended commitments would deter future aggression and provide stability for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and security planning.
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Ukraine has been fighting Russia since 2014, when it illegally annexed Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists took up arms in the Donbas, a vital industrial region in eastern Ukraine.
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Details of the security guarantees have not become public, but Zelenskyy said Monday that they include how a peace deal would be monitored as well as the “presence” of partners. He didn’t elaborate, but Russia has said it won’t accept the deployment in Ukraine of troops from NATO countries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump were expected to speak in the near future. Still, there was no indication the Russian leader would speak to Zelenskyy.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv’s allies will meet in Paris in early January to “finalize each country’s concrete contributions” to the security guarantees.
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Zelenski the comedian. Trump is almost trashing NATO. The comedian can not account for all the monies. His wife shops at the best shops in Europe. The only solution is for NATO to pull out of Ukrain. Give the Ukranians a chance to choose a credible leader.