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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that a US security guarantees agreement for his country is “100 percent ready” to be signed.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you haven’t been following along, Russia and Ukraine periodically hold trilateral talks, most recently in Abu Dhabi, with US mediation in an attempt to create a path toward ending the war. The core disagreement remains over territory. To sum it up, Russia demands that Ukrainian forces withdraw from eastern regions Russia claims to have annexed, including parts of the Donbas, despite not having full military control over them. Ukraine, on the other hand, refuses to cede any territory, citing constitutional obligations and strong public opposition to any concessions. Russia also seeks caps on Ukraine’s military size and has shot down any role for the United States or the European Union in providing Ukraine with security guarantees, while Ukraine is seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in war payments for reconstruction efforts.

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What’s going on now: While speaking to reporters during a press conference in Lithuania, President Zelenskyy confirmed that a US security guarantees agreement for Ukraine is fully prepared and awaiting final approval for signing.The document is 100 percent ready, and we are waiting for our partners to confirm the date and place when we will sign it,Zelenskyy said. He stressed that for Ukraine, these guarantees are essential and that once signed, the agreement will be sent to both the US Congress and the Ukrainian parliament for ratification.

Though the precise terms of the document have not been made public, officials referenced a reported 20-point framework, suggesting it includes commitments related to defense coordination, support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and mechanisms to deter future Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy also mentioned that other allies like the U.K. and France have shown willingness to monitor a ceasefire on the ground, but reiterated that any effective deterrent against Russia “must include a US backstop.” In his words, “No security guarantees work without the U.S.”

This all comes as the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi continue to gain cautious momentum, despite a lack of concrete breakthroughs. Zelenskyy described the talks as “productive” but noted that there were still “many problematic issues, but now there are fewer.” Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov described the talks with the US as “extremely frank and heart-to-heart,” calling the meetings “useful in every sense both for us and for the American side.”

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