Ukraine’s president has said he and other leaders across Europe are united in the belief that U.S.-backed security arrangements are needed for a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
Writing on the X platform on Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recent days had shown strong backing for Ukraine from Europe. His comments came after a meeting of 18 leaders in London on Sunday sought to shore up support for the embattled country following a diplomatic meltdown at the White House on Friday.
But Zelenskyy highlighted that, despite support across the continent, his country could not consider peace terms without U.S. security assurances.
“Everyone is united on the main issue—for peace to be real, we need real security guarantees,” he posted on X. “And this is the position of all of Europe—the entire continent. The United Kingdom, the European Union, Türkiye.”
Expressing gratitude to Washington and other allies for their support to date, Zelenskyy reiterated his position.
“What we need is peace, not endless war,” he wrote. “And that’s why we say security guarantees are the key to this.”
At a press conference following Sunday’s London summit, Zelenskyy said a U.S. “presence” was needed, which might take the form of intelligence support, or sea or air cover.
“Some sort of presence of the United States is necessary,” he was quoted by U.K. newspaper The Telegraph as saying. “We can talk about forms: intelligence, sea, air.
“I think our relationship [with the U.S.] will continue. We are grateful… We see the U.S. as a strategic partner.”
In a nightly TV address early on Monday morning, the Ukrainian head of state said diplomatic efforts would continue “for the sake of peace and for the sake of us all being together—Ukraine, all of Europe and definitely, definitely America.”
He said he remained prepared to sign a much-touted minerals deal with Washington “if the parties are ready.”
Friday’s visit to Washington was expected to culminate with the deal’s signing but instead Zelenskyy and his delegation were ejected from the White House after a heated exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The U.S. treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, told CBS News that it is “impossible to have an economic deal without a peace deal” and that Zelenskyy had “thrown off the sequencing” and had instead sought to “relitigate” the agreement in front of the media rather than discussing terms privately.
