Zelenskyy: Ukraine to demand maximum security guarantees from its partners

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists that Ukraine will demand maximum security guarantees from its partners and allies to prevent any future repetition of the Russian invasion.

Source: press service of the President's Office referring to Zelenskyy’s speech after a meeting with Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov.

Zelenskyy quote: "We want to receive the maximum for our state and our people. The maximum. And these guarantees will be put in place.

Sometimes it is better to have nothing and know that you are fighting one-to-one with your enemy than to have a wide circle of friends and partners who will not in fact protect you.

Once everything is ready, I think our society and our journalists will definitely see the details of the forthcoming accords."

Details: The President called the 1994 Budapest Memorandum that was supposed to guarantee against a Russian attack on Ukraine a "patchwork umbrella". He said that this time round Ukraine would not agree to symbolic assurances or declarations but would demand that its partners were seriously prepared for and involved in the defence of Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

Zelenskyy explained that when the war is over Russia will still be located on Ukraine’s eastern borders and Ukraine therefore needs a fundamental document ensuring its security.

Background:

• On 29 March, during a face-to-face round of talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation proposed to the Russians a possible security guarantee agreement for Ukraine. Under that agreement, Ukraine would have to observe neutrality, and a number of countries, particularly members of the UN Security Council, would be required to provide security guarantees equivalent to those provided by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. It is proposed that issues surrounding the de-occupation of Crimea be resolved separately over the next 15 years.
• On 16 April, Zelenskyy said that a number of countries were ready to provide such guarantees, including the USA, the UK, Turkey, France, Germany and Poland. However, there should first be consultations among these countries.
• On 20 April, the leaders of the G7 countries as well as of Poland, Romania, the European Union and NATO discussed the possible provision of security guarantees to Ukraine after the war.
• On 23 April, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said that consultations with representatives of potential guarantor countries would be completed by the end of the month.