The US reportedly offered Ukraine a 15-year security guarantee, far less than the half-century backing sought by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he looks to ward off future Russian aggression.
Kyiv’s ask comes after it dropped its demand to join NATO as part of a ceasefire deal currently being discussed, and is among a number of reasons why a breakthrough in negotiations looks unlikely despite positive rhetoric from Washington: Moscow on Monday accused Kyiv of attacking one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residences, an allegation Zelenskyy dismissed as “typical Russian lies” aimed at giving the Kremlin an excuse to continue its onslaught of Ukraine.