Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Netanyahu: If Lebanese Army takes steps to disarm Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including phased reduction of Israeli military presence in Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Photojournalist Houssam Al-Masri martyred, reporters Hatem Omar, Mohammad Ashraf Salameh injured in Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex.
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace

Ukraine leans on Europe as US support uncertain

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 28 Feb 2025 17:52
4 Min Read

Ukraine pushes toward securing European support as the United States' backing remains under question.

Listen
  • x
  •  President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump Tower, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP)
    President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump Tower, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York (AP)

Donald Trump's unwillingness to offer security guarantees to Ukraine in exchange for access to its mineral resources has led Kiev to consider urging European nations to provide a safety net of guarantees, Euractiv reported, citing several Ukrainian officials. 

This also comes after US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he expects Europe, not the US, to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, stating that "I am not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We're going to have Europe do that, because you know, we're talking about Europe, it's their next-door neighbor," in his first cabinet meeting since his inauguration.

Kiev's primary objective is to establish a European presence in Ukraine—potentially a peacekeeping force backed by the US—to serve as a deterrent against Russia.

While Washington has made it clear that it will not commit to concrete security assurances, Ukrainian officials believe the US will support their efforts to seek backing from European countries.

As part of so-called "soft guarantees," Kiev hopes that foreign companies, particularly American and major European investors, will push their governments to ensure protection from Russian attacks.

Given that much of Ukraine’s mineral wealth lies in territories controlled by Russia, these resources could also be leveraged as a bargaining tool to attract Western interest in mining opportunities.

Early accession to the EU

An accelerated roadmap for Ukraine's EU accession could serve as another form of soft assurance for Kiev.

Related News

Valery Zaluzhny: From Ukraine top general to presidential prospect

FP: Why the Global South won't pick sides in US-China rivalry

Earlier this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that Ukraine could join the bloc even sooner than the previously mentioned 2030 target if it maintains its rapid pace of reforms.

"A change of procedure could open the way for a change to reduce the vetoes in the accession process and allow proceeding faster on merit, rather than waiting for vetoing countries like Hungary," an EU official told Euractiv.

Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, a strong advocate for Ukraine’s swift entry into the EU, has previously proposed shifting a significant portion of the accession process to qualified majority voting to prevent individual states from blocking progress.

What are Kiev's hard guarantees?

On the front of so-called "hard guarantees," Kiev aims to strengthen its own military, pursue future NATO membership, and secure the presence of European peacekeepers.

Ukraine has consistently rejected any proposals that would impose restrictions on its armed forces, limit its ability to acquire and develop weapons, or curb its defense cooperation with Western nations.

Among Kiev's demands, the deployment of a European peacekeeping force is expected to be the most difficult to negotiate, as key details regarding size and rules of engagement remain unresolved, Euractiv reported. 

Instead of directly monitoring the frontline, Ukrainian officials suggest that European peacekeepers could be stationed in critical locations, such as sea ports or strategic infrastructure, to provide protection.

Ukraine looking for a two-Koreas-like solution

While discussions largely focus on troop deployments, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized that securing Ukraine’s air and maritime space is just as crucial. “Land, sky, and sea must all be in focus,” he stated, echoing earlier calls for a no-fly zone at the onset of the conflict.

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that upcoming high-level meetings—including a UK-led defense summit on Sunday and an extraordinary EU summit next week in Brussels—would provide clearer commitments from European allies.

Some Ukrainian military officials have drawn comparisons to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the DPRK and South Korea. However, whether European nations are willing to commit long-term resources to such an operation—similar to the US maintaining troops in South Korea for over 70 years—remains uncertain.

Read more: Willing to resign if it would bring peace, NATO membership: Zelensky

  • United States
  • Russia
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Kiev
  • Ukraine
  • Russia-Ukraine
  • European Union

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS