President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced from Lithuania on Sunday that Ukraine and the United States have completed work on a comprehensive security guarantees agreement. During a press briefing in Vilnius, the Ukrainian leader stated that the document is now “100 per cent ready” and awaits only the scheduling of a formal signing ceremony by partner nations. Following the signing, the agreement must proceed through ratification processes in both the U.S. Congress and Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada.
This announcement comes after two days of significant trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi that included representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. According to Zelenskyy, these talks were particularly noteworthy for including military officials in addition to diplomatic personnel from all three countries. He characterized this as potentially the first such comprehensive trilateral format in considerable time, indicating that discussions are addressing substantive security arrangements and operational details necessary for any potential peace settlement.
Zelenskyy’s Lithuanian appearance also provided an opportunity to emphasize Ukraine’s European integration objectives, specifically the goal of achieving European Union membership by 2027. The Ukrainian president described EU accession as an essential “economic security guarantee” that would complement military security assurances from the United States. This dual-track strategy reflects Ukraine’s vision of comprehensive Western integration, using multiple institutional connections to ensure the country’s long-term stability, prosperity, and democratic development.
Despite progress on formalizing the U.S. security agreement, Zelenskyy was candid about the profound differences that continue to separate Ukrainian and Russian negotiating positions. He emphasized that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is non-negotiable, stating that this principle “must be respected” in any settlement. This fundamental stance conflicts with Russian demands that have been articulated through various diplomatic channels, including recent marathon talks between President Putin and U.S. presidential envoys. Moscow continues to insist that Ukraine must withdraw its military forces from eastern territories that Russia has illegally annexed, despite Russian forces not having achieved full control over these regions.
Further negotiations are planned for February 1, when delegations will reconvene in the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials have indicated that the recent discussions in Abu Dhabi covered a wide range of topics, including military matters, economic considerations, and even the potential sequencing of a ceasefire before finalizing a complete peace agreement. Among the unresolved challenges is developing an acceptable framework for the oversight and operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which remains under Russian occupation. Zelenskyy acknowledged that while American mediators are working to identify areas of possible compromise, achieving peace will ultimately require flexibility and willingness to make concessions from all parties involved in the negotiations.