US proposed NATO-style joint defence guarantees for Kyiv: source

KYIV, Ukraine: The US has proposed security guarantees for Ukraine similar to — but separate from — those enjoyed by NATO member countries, a diplomatic source told AFP on Saturday.

The suggestion was raised during a call US President Donald Trump held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders earlier on Saturday, the source said.

“As one of the security guarantees for Ukraine, the American side proposed a non-NATO Article 5 type guarantee, supposedly agreed with (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin,” the diplomatic source said on condition they are not identified in any way.

NATO’s collective security is based on its Article 5 principle: if one member is attacked, the entire alliance comes to its defence.

Trump, Zelensky and European leaders — who included NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte — spoke early Saturday to discuss Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin held on Friday in Alaska.

Before that joint call, Trump also had a call with Zelensky as flew back from Alaska.

“The American side voiced this (joint security proposal) during a conversation with the president (Zelensky) and then repeated it during a joint conversation with the Europeans,” the diplomatic source said.

Another source with knowledge of the matter confirmed the NATO-like guarantees had been discussed.

But that source added: “No-one knows how this could work and why Putin would agree to it if he is categorically against NATO and obviously against really effective guarantees of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

Kyiv has long aspired to join NATO — but Russia has given that as one of its reasons for its war in Ukraine, and some Western circles have expressed resistance to the idea.

Trump has repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining the Western military alliance.

Zelensky is due in Washington on Monday for talks with Trump.

The second source told AFP that Zelensky is to discuss what form a possible Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit would have, the role of Kyiv’s European allies in peace talks, territories, and security guarantees.