President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Friday, Oct. 23, that Ukraine still lacks clear answers on how the US and European allies would respond to another Russian invasion, calling for firm security guarantees and at least 10 years of international funding for Ukraine’s military before any lasting peace agreement.
Speaking via video link at Washington’s Hudson Institute, Zelensky emphasized that a ceasefire must come first, followed by strong security commitments, a powerful Ukrainian army and continued access to Western weapons, including advanced air defense systems.
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“We need not just peace. Peace which has to be fair and strong,” Zelensky said.
Kyiv seeks clear US commitments
Zelensky proposed a European-led coalition of willing countries that could deploy personnel to Ukraine, backed by American security commitments.
But he questioned what that US “backstop” would mean if Russia launched another attack with missiles, drones or ground forces.
“Who will react? Not only our army. Who and how? And till now we don’t have answers,” he said.
Ukraine’s primary security guarantee, Zelensky argued, must be a strong national army supported by international financing for at least a decade.
“We need a big, big strong army, minimum ten years,” he said, explaining that Ukraine’s war-damaged economy would need time to recover and could not sustain such a force without outside assistance.
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A framework beyond NATO
While Ukraine continues to pursue NATO membership, Zelensky said strong bilateral security guarantees from Washington could provide an alternative framework.
He warned that diplomatic assurances alone would not deter future Russian aggression.
“Russia will attack if they feel that they can, if they feel that you are weak,” he said.
Earlier this week, Zelensky said Ukraine was considering US security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5, insisting they must be approved by Congress to prevent a repeat of the failed 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
Zelensky cautioned against easing sanctions, releasing frozen Russian assets or offering Moscow financial concessions without credible safeguards against renewed aggression.
Addressing the Hudson Institute on Friday, Zelensky cautioned against easing sanctions, releasing frozen Russian assets or offering Moscow financial concessions without credible safeguards against renewed aggression.
Abu Dhabi talks proposed – Zelensky insists on ceasefire first
Zelensky revealed that Ukrainian, American and Russian negotiating teams could meet in Abu Dhabi in early or mid-November, although the proposal remains dependent on Moscow’s response. The potential meeting follows recent diplomatic talks in Oslo and St. Petersburg.
“We are ready to meet any day, even tomorrow, but it all depends on the Russians,” Zelensky said.
He noted that Moscow had already derailed a planned October meeting by finding another reason not to participate.
Zelensky insisted that a ceasefire, rather than another round of negotiations without results, must be the starting point for peace.
“The right position for today is ceasefire. Point number one,” he said.
He also called for European participation and stronger US pressure on Moscow, arguing that technical-level negotiations must eventually advance to direct talks between national leaders.
Sevinj Osmanqizi is an experienced journalist who writes extensively for Kyiv Post on foreign policy, international security and geopolitics. Based in Washington, D.C., her work focuses on Ukraine, Russia’s war and the broader post-Soviet space.