Ukraine Begins Talks with the U.S. on Security Guarantees

Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, revealed on Sunday that Kyiv will start consultations with Washington this week regarding security guarantees until the completion of its NATO accession process. The announced talks follow commitments made by the Group of Seven industrialized nations after this month's NATO summit in Lithuania to offer and implement security guarantees. Yermak wrote: "We are starting talks with the United States (this) week." He continued, "The security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete and long-term commitments that ensure Ukraine's ability to defeat Russian aggression and curb it in the future. It will include clearly formulated support mechanisms." He added, "The guarantees will remain in effect until Ukraine gains NATO membership." In his statements, he noted that "more than ten other countries have joined the G7 declaration" and "Ukraine is negotiating the terms of future guarantees with each of them."