The international working group on security guarantees for Ukraine, co-chaired by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is about to complete the work on a document with recommendations on future security guarantees for our country.
At the third meeting of the group in video conference mode, Andriy Yermak emphasized that the dream of security guarantees for Ukraine is consistently turning into a plan with clear time frames.
“We are entering a new phase of this brutal war. Against the background of the events unfolding in the frontlines, it is time for our partners to take new decisive steps to guarantee Ukraine’s further security. These guarantees should form a new security order on the European continent and prevent a new war in its heart,” he is convinced.
The Head of the Office of the President noted that due to the joint efforts of the group members, a high-quality comprehensive project of recommendations was created in less than two months of work.
According to him, this document covers a wide range of guarantees: military, economic, political, sanctions. After the preparation of the final version, the document will be submitted for consideration by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“With its publication on the Presidential Office website, our diplomacy will receive powerful assistance in the context of negotiations with the governments of allied and partner states,” Andriy Yermak emphasized.
The Head of the Presidential Office believes that future security guarantees should become part of legally binding documents, in particular, treaties between Ukraine and the guarantor countries.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the updated (second) draft recommendations take into account key comments received from the previous group meeting.
“You will also be able to see that the main focus in this draft is more focused on the first part – defense guarantees, which are the basis of our recommendations,” he noted.
At the end of the meeting, Anders Fogh Rasmussen informed the meeting participants that former Minister for European Union Affairs of Türkiye Volkan Bozkır became a new member of the group.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the transition to the Group’s work in a co-chair format with personal bilateral consultations with some members on specific issues.
Andriy Yermak and Anders Fogh Rasmussen thanked everyone present and noted that the final version of the recommendations on security guarantees would be provided to the group members before publication.