Volodymyr Zelenskyy opens door to security guarantees for Russia

Ukrainian president acknowledges Moscow could also receive security guarantees as part of peace deal

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has for the first time acknowledged Russia's need for security guarantees as part of a future settlement to end the war in Ukraine, in a significant shift amid a renewed US diplomatic push to restart peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.

Ukraine's president said western powers could eventually discuss Moscow's demands for security guarantees, but insisted Kyiv's own security needs must be addressed first. Until now, Kyiv and its western allies have dismissed Russia's demands for security assurances from Nato and a sweeping overhaul of Europe's security architecture as attempts to reassert Moscow's sphere of influence and undermine the sovereignty of its neighbours.

"First, we need to resolve the issue of this war, and only then look for answers to the questions Russia is raising based on its own views and expectations about security," he told reporters in Kyiv.

Negotiating teams from Ukraine, Russia and the US are supposed to meet in early November in Abu Dhabi for what the Ukrainian president described as technical talks on possible de-escalation measures, including an elusive energy and maritime ceasefire, as well as to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

Discussions on a postwar settlement and security guarantees would have to involve Europe, Zelenskyy insisted: "We can discuss the conceptual issues with the Russians through American mediation. But if we move on to the security guarantees format and it's agreed that these guarantees will require Europe's involvement, then Europe has to be part of those discussions."

The Ukrainian president made the comments on Tuesday during a discussion with reporters held at the president's office in Kyiv's heavily secured government quarters. It came hours after President Alexander Stubb of Finland and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a phone call with Vladimir Putin, the first direct conversation with European leaders since July last year.

Zelenskyy said he had talked with Stubb and Støre the night before their call with Putin and immediately after. The two leaders said they had the impression Moscow was "serious" about planned talks between Ukrainian, Russian and American negotiating teams in Abu Dhabi, Zelenskyy said.

"I have a positive view of [Stubb and Støre] . . . I understand their communication format," he added.

But Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday ridiculed the Nordic leaders' attempts "to insert themselves into the negotiating process" and said "nothing new was discussed" on the call with Putin. The war, Lavrov said, "will continue and, even I will say, is likely to escalate".

The Ukrainian president also acknowledged the Europeans' call to Putin came at a moment of renewed contacts between Russia and the US, saying Moscow was looking to offer the US "a kind of 'economic marriage'".

US negotiators have been discussing major business deals with Russia in a bid to convince Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, the FT reported. US and Russian negotiators discussed potential joint ventures between US and Russian oil majors, the reopening of the Russian airspace for transit and overflights for US airlines or restarting co-operation with Russia on the production and supply of titanium.

The deals would only come online after the end of the war, people familiar with the matter told the FT.

The Ukrainian president said the 2025 Anchorage meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska had "ended Russia's diplomatic isolation" and fear the "diesel deal" secured this month between the US and Russia would be followed by more agreements.

Zelenskyy also repeated a longstanding demand that territorial issues be only discussed at the leaders' level. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had been "prepared" to discuss a US proposal of a demilitarised zone created on both sides of the front line.

The comments on Russian security demands and renewed discussion between the west and Moscow highlighted Kyiv's growing unease with the latest rapprochement between Russia and the US.

The Ukrainian president said he "heard signals" regarding a possible reduction of US troops in Europe.

"In my view, security guarantees for Russia -- as Russia understands them -- mean changing the security framework in Europe and the world," he said.

In August of last year, Zelenskyy had dismissed Russian demands for security guarantees during a press conference with Nato secretary Mark Rutte: "When Russia raises the issue of security guarantees, I honestly don't know who is threatening them yet. They attacked us, they are on our land. I don't quite understand what guarantees the aggressor needs. Guarantees of what?"

Rutte and key Nato leaders have long rejected Russian demands for negotiations on security guarantees before a final peace settlement with Ukraine is reached, and any discussions about European security negotiated without their participation and consent.

Three months before launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin demanded far-reaching limitations on Nato, including a ban on further enlargement of the US-led military alliance, the withdrawal of forces and equipment from countries bordering Russia, and limits on certain military deployments and exercises. European governments rejected the proposals as an infringement of their sovereignty.

Russian demand for security guarantees "isn't a new issue", Zelenskyy acknowledged.

The leaders of France, Germany and the UK, together with Zelenskyy, agreed a joint declaration in June stating: "European security interests must be safeguarded in any [Ukraine peace] deal. Elements of any negotiation related to the EU and Nato would need the consent of the EU and its member states and Nato allies respectively."

Relations between Washington and Kyiv deteriorated sharply in October after Donald Trump pressed Ukraine to halt its long-range drone strikes on Russia's oil industry. Ukrainian officials also complained about delays in deliveries of critical air-defence missiles, a suspension of intelligence sharing on incoming missile attacks and restrictions on the Starlink satellite communications system.

Although intelligence sharing and Starlink access were eventually restored, the disruptions fuelled fears in Kyiv that Washington could withdraw its support for Ukraine altogether.

Zelenskyy said on Tuesday the US had supplied an average of just 12 interceptor missiles a month for Ukraine's Patriot air-defence systems this year. He estimated in early October that Russia had stockpiled about 700 ballistic missiles and was producing another 130 each month.

The Ukrainian president acknowledged Kyiv had recently decreased the tempo of its attacks on Russian oil refineries since Trump declared a unilateral energy ceasefire: "During those days our guys were probably trying to be a little more cautious."