Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., called for legally binding, irreversible security guarantees as part of any peace deal with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently met U.S. envoys in Berlin and is finalizing a 20-point peace plan that includes a proposed demilitarized zone in Donbas. Zelensky has criticized an earlier U.S. plan that he says would leave Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk under de facto Russian control and limit Ukraine’s military and NATO presence. Stefanishyna said U.S. guarantees could be enacted by Congress and a presidential signature and must prevent future aggression.
Ukraine Demands Ironclad, Legally Binding Security Guarantees in Any Peace Deal, U.S. Ambassador Says
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, urged that any agreement to end the war with Russia include ironclad security guarantees that cannot be reversed.
"It should be legally binding in every form, which would not allow its reversal at any time in history," Stefanishyna told Jacqui Heinrich on Fox News Sunday. She said she expects U.S. leaders to help identify a workable legal form for such protections.
Over the weekend, President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Berlin with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump. Before the meeting, Zelensky wrote on X that "only reliable guarantees can deliver peace," reaffirming a long-standing Ukrainian priority.
This week Zelensky said he is finalizing a 20-point peace proposal to present to the Trump administration. Among its elements, he has proposed establishing a demilitarized zone in the Donbas region.
Zelensky has voiced concerns about an earlier U.S. proposal that, he says, would effectively leave Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk under de facto Russian control, reduce the size of Ukraine’s military, and bar NATO forces from being stationed in the country.
Stefanishyna suggested that U.S. security guarantees could be enshrined in domestic law through Congress and a presidential signature, while also stressing that any ceasefire must include measures to "prevent any other aggression from happening."
"We’ll see how it works," she added. "The main point is the substance. When the substance is there, the form will be agreed to."
For original reporting and updates, see outlets covering international diplomacy and the evolving peace proposals.
