Tusk: U.S. ready to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said this following a videoconference of European leaders and ahead of a government meeting, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“We assessed the results of the first stage of serious negotiations involving the leaders of Ukraine, the United States, the EU, and Canada. Peace is on the horizon, there is no doubt that things have happened that give grounds for hope that this war can end, and quite quickly, but it is still a hope, far from 100% certain,” Tusk said.

He described as the key result of recent days the U.S.-declared readiness to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine after peace is achieved, “including the presence of American troops, for example along the border or on the line of contact between Ukraine and Russia.”

“These clear declarations have appeared for the first time. We will see how consistent our partners on the other side of the Atlantic will be, but this gives hope that these talks can end successfully. And by success, I mean the end of the war,” Tusk stated.

According to him, this would require a “compromise approach to territorial issues” on Ukraine’s part.

“President Zelensky is demonstrating very good will on this matter. From his point of view – and this is understandable – a referendum is necessary. The Ukrainian people would have to give consent to territorial decisions. And it is obvious that such possible consent [to territorial concessions – ed.] must be conditional on genuine, well-thought-out security guarantees for Ukraine after a potential peace agreement. This is a significant challenge for all participants in the process, but, as I said, peace has appeared on the horizon for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war,” the Polish prime minister emphasized.

He stressed that this would be “something extremely positive” for Poland, given its geographic location and the broader geopolitical context.

Tusk added that cooperation among all Polish institutions is crucial in this matter. In this context, he noted that he had received detailed information from President Karol Nawrocki regarding his participation in a conversation between European leaders and the presidents of the United States and Ukraine following their Sunday meeting in Florida. In turn, Tusk pledged to keep Nawrocki informed about his own talks with European leaders.

According to Tusk, the government and the President must closely coordinate their actions, given that he is more actively engaged with European leaders, while the White House prefers contacts at the presidential level.

“This is a key issue for Poland’s security, and I will count on an immediate meeting with the President,” the Polish Prime Minister stressed.

Tusk also emphasized that when he speaks of “peace on the horizon,” he means “the coming weeks, not the coming months or years.”

“By January, we'll all have to come together... to make decisions about the future of Ukraine, the future of this part of the world,” Tusk underscored.

As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during his meeting with U.S. President, Donald Trump confirmed strong security guarantees for Ukraine and assured that they would be voted on and supported by the U.S. Congress.

On December 30, Zelensky stated that Ukraine cannot simply renounce its territories as part of peace efforts, as this would contradict the law.

Earlier, he said that Point 14 of the draft framework document between Ukraine, the United States, Russia, and Europe on ending the war,  which addresses territorial issues, could include the following compromise: Russian forces would withdraw from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions, while a “free economic zone” would be created in Donbas. If agreed, such a compromise would have to be put to a nationwide referendum.

Photo: Office of the Prime Minister of Poland