Ukraine leans on Europe as US support uncertain
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Ukraine pushes toward securing European support as the United States' backing remains under question.
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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.
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
