President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Sunday that Ukraine and the United States have completed work on a comprehensive security guarantees agreement, with the document now ready for formal signing. During a media briefing in Vilnius, Lithuania, Zelenskyy explained that Ukrainian officials are awaiting word from partner countries on when the signing ceremony will take place. After the signing, the agreement will need to pass through ratification processes in both the U.S. Congress and Ukraine’s parliament, representing a significant step toward institutionalizing American security commitments to Ukraine.
The completion of this document comes after intensive trilateral negotiations held in Abu Dhabi over the weekend. These talks brought together Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations in what Zelenskyy described as potentially the first such trilateral format in a considerable period that included military representatives from all three sides, not just diplomatic personnel. The involvement of military officials suggests that discussions are addressing concrete operational and strategic security issues that would be essential components of any lasting peace agreement or security arrangement.
Zelenskyy’s statements in Lithuania also highlighted Ukraine’s parallel pursuit of European Union membership, with the Ukrainian president setting 2027 as the target date for accession. He framed EU membership as providing an essential “economic security guarantee” for Ukraine’s future. This dual strategy of seeking military security guarantees from the United States while simultaneously working toward European economic integration reflects Ukraine’s broader vision of comprehensive Western integration that would secure the country’s future through multiple institutional connections.
Despite progress on the U.S. security agreement, Zelenskyy did not minimize the substantial obstacles that remain in peace negotiations with Russia. He emphasized that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is a fundamental principle that “must be respected” in any settlement. This position is fundamentally at odds with Russian demands, as articulated in recent discussions between President Putin and U.S. presidential envoys. Moscow continues to insist that Ukraine withdraw its military forces from eastern territories that Russia has illegally annexed, despite the fact that Russian forces have not achieved full control over these regions through military operations.
Further negotiations are planned for February 1, when delegations will reconvene in the United Arab Emirates to continue discussions. According to U.S. officials, the recent Abu Dhabi talks covered a wide-ranging agenda that included both military and economic issues, with participants even exploring the possibility of implementing a ceasefire before finalizing a complete peace agreement. Among the unresolved issues is the question of how to establish an acceptable framework for managing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has been under Russian occupation. Zelenskyy acknowledged that while the United States is working to identify potential compromise positions, achieving peace will ultimately require all parties to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to make concessions on difficult issues.