Washington [US], December 17: The U.S. has offered to provide NATO-style security guarantees to Ukraine as negotiators report progress in the latest talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Early on December 16 (Vietnam time), US President Donald Trump said that an agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict is closer than ever, according to AFP.
"We're trying to get this done, and I think we're getting closer now," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about talks between U.S. officials, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders in Berlin, Germany, on December 15.
Ensuring security as per Article 5
Following the aforementioned negotiations, a U.S. official revealed that under the agreement being discussed in Berlin, Ukraine would receive security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, according to Reuters. Article 5 requires the alliance to defend any member attacked. Another U.S. official said that security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty are "very strong," and President Trump believes he can persuade Russia to accept them.
Furthermore, a joint statement from the leaders of several European countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, indicated a "strong consensus" with the US and outlined a list of shared goals. These goals included a commitment to supporting the Ukrainian armed forces, a European-led peacekeeping force, and ensuring the use of force should Ukraine be attacked again, as well as supporting Ukraine's accession to the European Union (EU).
A US official acknowledged that no territorial agreement has yet been reached but said the US has discussed with President Zelensky the idea of ​​establishing a "free economic zone" in the area disputed between Russian and Ukrainian military forces, according to AFP.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
