Rubio, Yermak Lead Multinational Talks on Ukraine Security Guarantees

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak are leading talks with international partners to finalize postwar security guarantees for Ukraine, aiming to deter future Russian aggression with both military and political commitments. Concurrently, President Donald Trump has emphasized that ending the war may require Ukraine to accept a peace deal largely on Russia's terms, while expressing skepticism about Ukraine's ability to win without offensive actions against Russia. Trump has ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops but hinted at providing airpower support and has proposed a U.S. commitment resembling NATO's Article Five protection for Ukraine, though details remain uncertain. Military leaders from the U.S. and European nations have developed strategic military options for Ukraine, focusing on air support and defense systems, with caution about Kremlin acceptance. The U.S. Treasury disclosed a strategy to sell weapons to European partners earmarked for Ukraine with a markup, aiming to combine defense aid with postwar economic cooperation benefiting American taxpayers. Throughout these developments, Ukrainian leaders emphasize that territorial compromise discussions should involve trilateral talks with the U.S. and Russia, underscoring the need for substantial and modernized security guarantees.