USA offers Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years – Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the United States offered Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years with the possibility of extension and stated that he is ready to submit US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war to a nationwide referendum if Russia agrees to a ceasefire for at least 60 days.
In a telephone interview with Axios published on Friday, Zelenskyy stressed that holding such a plebiscite would pose significant political, logistical, and security challenges. "That's why he believes that a 60-day ceasefire to organize and hold the vote 'is the minimum,'" the publication writes. According to Axios, a senior U.S. official said that the Russians understand the need for a ceasefire if Zelenskyy calls a referendum but want a shorter timetable.
The report notes that the American side views Zelenskyy's willingness to hold a referendum and his openness to territorial concessions as important steps forward.
At the same time, the Ukrainian president said that he would still like to negotiate a better deal regarding the territory. However, if the plan requires a "very difficult" decision on this issue, he believes the best approach would be to put the entire 20-point plan to a referendum.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy stressed that if the referendum takes place amid ongoing Russian attacks, it will "end badly," and despite all the talk about security guarantees and economic benefits, "people will see missiles." The president also noted that if people don't vote due to security concerns, the referendum's outcome could be illegitimate. "It's better not to hold a referendum at all than to hold a referendum where people won't have the opportunity to vote," he stressed.
Zelenskyy said that it was unclear to him whether Russia was willing to accept Trump's proposal. "I have some intelligence, but now I only want to believe the words of the leaders," he said.
He added that most aspects of the bilateral agreements between the United States and Ukraine had already been defined and codified in five documents, though one more could be added. Regarding the key issue of security guarantees, Zelenskyy said, "We are ready with these documents," though some "technical things" require further discussion. One of these is the agreement's duration. The United States has proposed a 15-year pact that can be renewed. "I think we need more than 15 years," Zelenskyy said. He added that he would consider it a "great success" if Trump agreed to it during their meeting.
The Ukrainian president said that both the United States and Ukraine will submit the security guarantees to their legislatures for ratification.