EditZelenskyy rules out nuclear umbrella in European security guarantees for Ukraine
Кyiv says talks with EU partners and the US focus on conventional deterrence, troop presence and long-term defence planning
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the provision of a “nuclear umbrella” is not being discussed as part of European security guarantees for Ukraine, stressing instead a set of multi-layered measures aimed at maintaining the country’s defence capability and deterring renewed Russian aggression.
Speaking during an online briefing with journalists, as reported by European Pravda, Zelenskyy was asked whether the United Kingdom and France were prepared to extend nuclear deterrence to Ukraine once the war ends, or whether discussions were limited to conventional security guarantees.
“We are not talking about nuclear weapons,” Zelenskyy said. “When it comes to security guarantees from our European partners and from the United States, we are discussing the presence of contingents and protection on the ground, in the air and at sea, as well as a separate track on air defence.”
He added that talks also cover strengthening Ukraine’s armed forces and securing additional funding for military personnel. “This is extremely important for our brigades, for their staffing levels, so that they are properly manned,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the Ukrainian president, discussions also include the granting of licences for joint production, referring primarily to weapons manufacturing.
On 7 January, Zelenskyy arrived in Cyprus, which is set to assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. A day earlier, he took part in a meeting of the so-called “Coalition of the Resolute” in Paris.
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The final text of the Paris Declaration adopted after the meeting on 6 January did not include a provision obliging the United States to support multinational forces in Ukraine in the event of a renewed Russian invasion, despite the clause being present in an earlier draft.
U.S. commitment to Ukrainian security omitted from final Paris coalition declaration
Meanwhile, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has argued that military planning for Ukraine must continue even in the event of a future peace agreement. Speaking in an interview with DPA, as reported by European Pravda, Pistorius called for “reliable” security guarantees for Kyiv.
“It is important to me that the countries supporting Ukraine develop concrete measures to secure a possible political end to Russian aggression,” he said, adding that, unlike the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, any future arrangements must be long-term and credible.
At the Paris meeting of the Coalition of the Resolute, participating countries agreed to form international peacekeeping forces to ensure the military security of a potential ceasefire. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the Bundeswehr would contribute to the operation, though not on Ukrainian territory but within NATO countries near the border.
“The prerequisite is that Putin is genuinely serious about a ceasefire and an end to the brutal killings,” Pistorius said, referring to the plans. The coalition is currently developing measures aimed at safeguarding peace under such conditions.
Pistorius explained that the concept includes the deployment of forces inside Ukraine to train and strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces, a step that France and the United Kingdom have already agreed to support. In addition, he said, NATO countries would need forces on standby in case of renewed Russian aggression.
“This additional approach strengthens deterrence and defensive capabilities against Putin overall,” the defence minister said.
According to Pistorius, chiefs of defence from supporting countries are now working on practical implementation, including identifying which states can contribute specific capabilities and how the proposed guarantees can be aligned with NATO’s existing defence plans.
Members of the Coalition of the Resolute, together with Ukraine and the United States, have also signed a joint declaration on security guarantees aimed at ensuring a stable and lasting peace in Ukraine. The group further agreed to establish a special coordination centre in Paris, in the “US-Ukraine-Coalition of the Resolute” format, tasked with overseeing Western security guarantees for Ukraine.
U.S. commitment to Ukrainian security omitted from final Paris coalition declaration
Caption: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses a press conference upon the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine during the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 6 January 2026. EPA/LUDOVIC MARIN / POOL
Updated: January 8, 2026 - 07:14
