US: White House official says nothing specific discussed on Ukraine's security guarantees

United States President Joe Biden's government is not yet ready to discuss specific choices on security guarantees that Ukraine has requested. At a press briefing, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said that US President Joe Biden does not plan to engage in a direct military conflict with Russia.

"So we are in constant discussion with Ukrainians about ways that we can help ensure that they are sovereign and secure. But there's nothing specific about a security guarantee that I can speak to at this time," White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield remarked at a briefing on March 30.

Western officials are rejecting Ukraine's proposal for a NATO-style mutual-defence pledge, which could draw their military forces into a war with Russia, even as they express some interest in international security guarantees as part of a cease-fire agreement. On March 29, Ukrainian negotiators handed Russia a detailed proposal for a neutral status for Ukraine, with security guaranteed by the United States, United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Germany, Canada, Poland, and Israel.

West skeptical over Ukraine's NATO-style security guarantee proposal

The Ukrainian proposal would require countries to respond to a violation of their sovereignty in the same way that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members would under Article 5, the alliance's mutual-defence promise. US President Biden has yet to respond to the request, but White House communications director Kate Bedingfield declined to clarify whether the US would be willing to act as Ukraine's security guarantor on Wednesday.

A number of Western leaders have indicated support for security guarantees for Ukraine, but none have specified what those guarantees would entail. Their unwillingness to accept a crucial pillar of Ukraine's blueprint—the idea of a NATO collective defense mechanism—illustrates how far away all sides remain from reaching a negotiated settlement. Other countries mentioned as potential security guarantors indicated interest in the concept but did not commit to it.

According to a German spokesperson, German chancellor Olaf Scholz told Zelenskyy on Wednesday that Berlin was "broadly inclined" to act as a security guarantee for Ukraine as part of a peace pact. However, another senior German government official later stressed that the debate was still in its early stages and that it included a proposal for a group of countries, including Russia, to ensure Ukraine's security as part of a peace pact in which Kyiv would declare independence from any military alliances, including NATO.

Further, Wall Street Journal reported, quoting a person familiar with the matter, that France is open to supporting a form of neutrality for Ukraine with its security guaranteed by several countries. The person cautioned, however, that France is unwilling to sign up for a security guarantee that includes a mechanism similar to NATO’s Article 5, according to the media agency.

(With agency inputs, Image: AP)