European ministers are discussing safety guarantees Ukraine

This article was last updated on August 28, 2025

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European ministers are discussing safety guarantees Ukraine

It became a real buzzword during printing diplomatic consultation about Ukraine recently: security guarantees. European leaders, NATO boss Rutte, President Zensky and President Trump, they are all talking about it, but precise elaboration of plans that Ukraine should keep safe after a file with Russia is still waiting.

After the top of the Presidents Trump and Putin in Alaska and the meeting of Trump with Zensky and European leaders in the White House, there is a new momentum to think about what is needed for the protection of Ukraine after the war.

Today and tomorrow it is the turn of the EU Ministers of Defense to talk about security guarantees. They meet in Copenhagen, on behalf of the Netherlands, outgoing Minister Brekelmans (VVD) comes.

Steel porcupine

The Coalition of the Willing, a club of around thirty countries that supports Ukraine, previously quickly promised to come up with detailed plans for security guarantees. In addition to many European countries, Canada, Australia and Japan include that partnership.

This spring, thinking about this began, after it became clear that the Europeans could no longer count on self -evident military support from the US. After a number of meetings in Paris and London, it became quieter around the coalition of willing countries, which now has a headquarters in the French capital.

Previously, outgoing Minister Brekelmans said that various military scenarios are ready. He did not want to comment on that, because it could play the Russians in the card.

The contours of the plans came out via international media. The most important thing is to strengthen the army of Ukraine. According to Ursula von der Leyen, chairman of the European Commission, the country should become a “steel porcupine”, indigestible for the enemy who gets it in his head.

Demilitarized zone

To achieve that, Western countries must continue to arm the teeth of Ukraine and even further increase their support, military experts say.

According to the British newspaper Financial Times There is also talk of a demilitarized zone in Ukraine that could be monitored by a neutral force. The Ukrainian army then forms the first line of defense, a second layer of protective should be soldiers from the coalition of willing countries.

The FT writes that Trump has promised to assist the troops with, among other things, military intelligence, command structures and other means that are needed to, for example, keep Ukrainian airspace safe.

The American president was previously reluctant. Although the lion’s share of the Ukrainian security guarantees must be worn by Europeans, Trump announced that he would stay involved last week and want to help them.

For many countries, that American promise is a condition to participate in a possible mission and possibly send soldiers to Ukraine. France and the United Kingdom said they would be willing to send people to the country, and Lithuania, Estonia and Belgium also said they did feel for that.

Outgoing Prime Minister Schoof said in February that the Netherlands will look at it “seriously and benevolent”. In total, around ten countries would like to deliver soldiers.

Bad experiences

It is unclear how many soldiers can send countries. Earlier, there were a few tens of thousands needed to have enough deterrent. According to military experts, Russia will quickly test such a deterrent to see how powerful the troops can strike. The country has more often announced that it could not agree with European troops in Ukraine.

President Zenskyns uses security guarantees that are legally binding. Ukraine has bad experiences with previous promises. In 1994 the country signed the ‘Budapest Memorandum’, in which it gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for promises for the safety of Washington and Moscow, among others. With the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the large invasion in 2022, they turned out to be worth nothing.

Although there is a lot of talk about it, in many European capitals there is also caution and skepticism on all emphasis on security guarantees. Because who knows what the promises of US President Trump are worth? And are all discussions not too premature?

After all, the agreements about Ukrainian safety will only apply after a cease-fire or file with Russia, something that seems far away after 1281 days.

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