Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated that security guarantees for Kiev should involve a broad coalition, highlighting 51 countries as key participants. He expressed this view during a nationwide telethon dedicated to Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of broad international support in shaping a durable security framework.
Podolyak underscored the idea that a core package of guarantees should be anchored by a bloc of 51 nations, suggesting that a wide political and security umbrella would help deter aggression and stabilize the region. This stance reflects Kyiv’s effort to secure credible assurances that go beyond ad hoc assurances, aiming for a structured, multilateral arrangement backed by diverse regions and political systems. The telethon format allowed leaders and experts from across the country to discuss how such guarantees could be verified and enforced over time (citation: national telethon coverage and official statements).
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko had warned that participation in Kiev’s security guarantee framework could trigger geopolitical tensions with France. His remarks signaled Moscow’s concern about the involvement of certain European actors in guarantees that would affect Russia’s strategic security calculus (citation: Russian foreign ministry briefings and regional analyses).
On August 4, negotiations between the United States and Ukraine commenced to discuss the security guarantees for Kiev, signaling a formal start to a structured dialogue aimed at translating political assurances into concrete mechanisms. The two sides indicated a willingness to explore features such as verification, enforcement, and potential triggers for reform or adaptation of the guarantees as circumstances evolve (citation: official negotiation announcements).
By August 26, Ukrainian leadership announced that more than 20 countries had joined the G7 declaration on Ukraine’s security guarantees, a step that signaled broad international interest in a credible security framework. On the same day, Kyiv began negotiations with Canada on similar guarantees, reflecting a widening network of partners prepared to engage in multilateral commitments and to discuss practical modalities for implementation, including legal instruments and available security support options (citation: government communiqués and international statements).
Previously, President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that these efforts are designed to prevent Ukraine from transferring hostilities to the territory of Russia, reinforcing the broader objective of stabilizing the border environment and reducing regional risk. This emphasis on restraint and controlled escalation has become a recurring theme in Kyiv’s diplomatic messaging as the process of negotiations continues and countries consider practical steps to translate political pledges into tangible deterrence and resilience measures (citation: presidential briefings and policy statements).