Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that any effective security guarantees for Ukraine must involve the United States, suggesting that President-elect Donald Trump could play a decisive role in ending the war with Russia.
Speaking alongside First Lady Olena Zelenska during a January 2 national telethon, Zelenskyy stated that achieving a just peace for Ukraine requires “powerful, strong security guarantees,” with NATO membership being the optimal solution.
"We are fighting for this, and we will continue to fight. If not [through NATO], I wouldn’t want to propose an alternative. Clearly, any security guarantees without the US are weak security guarantees for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
Drawing a parallel to Israel, Zelenskyy noted that while it is not a NATO member, the country benefits from robust security guarantees from the US and other allies, which have been instrumental in its defense.
Trump’s Role in Ending the War
Zelenskyy expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to influence the outcome of the war, calling him potentially pivotal in stopping Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Trump could be decisive. For us, this is the most important thing. His qualities make him capable of being decisive in this war. He can stop Putin—or more accurately, help us stop Putin. He can do it," Zelenskyy stated.
The Ukrainian leader mentioned previous conversations with Trump and described him as strong and unpredictable.
"I believe his unpredictability could be focused on Russia. I think he truly wants to end the war. I believe this is true," he added.
An article published by the Financial Times on December 20 indicated that the new US administration plans to maintain support for Ukraine. Trump’s team has reportedly signaled a push for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP while continuing military aid to Kyiv.
