Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is on a diplomatic drive to cement security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy met with leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden – to discuss Ukraine’s future. The gathering aimed to explore ways the NB8 countries can ensure further support for Ukraine on the frontline and in the negotiating room.
According to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office, the leaders will discuss how to provide continued military support for Kyiv, along with an international force to reassure Ukraine.
However, European leaders have made clear that such a force would only be feasible with US participation. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said progress was being made on security guarantees for Ukraine, but stressed that such measures would only be implemented after a peace agreement is reached.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expects clarity on what security guarantees Europe can offer Kyiv once the war halts. “I expect tomorrow, or soon after tomorrow, to have clarity on what collectively we can deliver,” Rutte said at a news conference with Estonian President Alar Karis in Brussels.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-host a virtual meeting of leaders of the so-called “coalition of the willing” – a collection of Western states working on long-term guarantees for Ukraine.
The international community is working to provide Ukraine with the necessary support to deter Russia from launching another war after hostilities end.
However, Moscow rejects the idea of European peacekeeping troops on the ground in Ukraine and insists that any future settlement must reflect what it calls “new territorial realities.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that regions annexed by Russia must be “recognized and formalized in an international legal manner” for peace to last.
As diplomacy continues behind the scenes, Russia’s assault continues to intensify across eastern Ukraine. Russian forces claim to have encircled and captured “about half” of Kupiansk, a strategic city in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
The Ukrainian constitution forbids concessions on territory, and Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected such concessions, warning that losing any territory would embolden Russia to launch new attacks in the future.
The diplomatic manoeuvring comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to deepen ties with North Korea and China.
His meeting with Kim Jong Un in Beijing, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at a grand military parade, underscored the growing partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The international community remains watchful as the conflict continues, with the US and Europe working to provide Ukraine with the necessary support to ensure its security and stability.