Zelenskyy Says U.S. Protection Pact Ready, Russia Has Not Fully Captured Annexed Areas

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that Ukraine has completed work on a security guarantees agreement with the United States, with the document now fully prepared for signing. Speaking to journalists in Vilnius during an official visit to Lithuania, Zelenskyy stated that the agreement is “100 per cent ready” and that Ukrainian officials are awaiting word from partner countries on when the signing ceremony will take place. After signing, the document will proceed through ratification processes in both the U.S. Congress and Ukraine’s parliament.
This development emerges from two days of significant trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi that brought together representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. According to Zelenskyy, these talks were particularly noteworthy because they included military officials from all three sides in addition to diplomatic personnel. He suggested this might be the first such comprehensive trilateral format in considerable time, indicating that discussions are moving beyond political rhetoric to address specific security arrangements and operational details.
Zelenskyy’s statements in Lithuania also highlighted Ukraine’s parallel pursuit of European Union membership, with 2027 established as the target year for accession. The Ukrainian president described EU membership as providing an “economic security guarantee” that would work in tandem with military security arrangements being developed with the United States. This dual-track approach reflects Ukraine’s strategy of pursuing comprehensive Western integration through both security partnerships and economic institutions, creating multiple layers of connection that would ensure long-term stability and prosperity.
Despite progress on the U.S. security agreement, Zelenskyy was forthright about the deep divisions that remain between Ukrainian and Russian positions. He stressed that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is a fundamental principle that “must be respected” in any settlement. This stance is fundamentally incompatible with Russian demands that have been articulated through various channels, including recent marathon discussions between President Putin and U.S. presidential envoys. The Kremlin insists that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured.
Further talks are scheduled for February 1, when delegations will reconvene in the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials have indicated that the recent Abu Dhabi meetings addressed a broad range of topics, including military matters, economic considerations, and even the potential for implementing a ceasefire before finalizing a complete peace agreement. Among the unresolved challenges is establishing an acceptable framework for managing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian occupation and is Europe’s largest nuclear facility. Zelenskyy acknowledged that while American mediators are working to identify compromise positions, achieving peace will require all parties involved to demonstrate genuine willingness to make difficult concessions.