National security advisors from several European countries arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to discuss the latest peace proposals, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war in UkraineTensions, which have been ongoing for nearly four years, are intensifying. This meeting comes just days before a summit bringing together the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders.
"An intense day of work awaits us: security and economic issues, drafting framework documents, coordinating the next steps with our partners," the Ukrainian chief negotiator wrote on the X network. Rustem Umerovspecifying that representatives from Canada and theNATO participated in the discussions, alongside European delegations.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Kyiv is currently coordinating security guarantees with its European partners, which could take the form of a multilateral agreement. This arrangement would stipulate that Ukrainian forces would constitute the first line of defense, supported by a deployment of European troops on Ukrainian soil and by American support described as a "backstop," the negotiator explained. Oleksandr Bevz.
On the economic front, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka indicated that a consensus had been reached with international partners on a support program estimated at approximately $800 billion over ten years. This package, based on assessments by the World Bank, of the International Monetary Fund and the European Union would cover compensation for destruction, reconstruction, macroeconomic stability, and a $200 billion stimulus package closely tied to the reforms required as part of Ukraine's EU membership bid. The precise sources of funding remain to be determined, although nearly $500 billion is expected to come from public grants and concessional loans.
These technical discussions precede a meeting of leaders of the "Coalition of the Willing," a group of about 30 countries supporting Kyiv in its search for a negotiated peace with Russia. The summit is scheduled for Tuesday in Paris, after the meeting of the security advisors.
On the domestic political front, Volodymyr Zelensky proposed on Saturday that the current Minister of Defense Denis Shmyhal become Minister of Energy and First Deputy Prime Minister. The day before, the President had also appointed the head of military intelligence, General Kyrylo Budanov, in the position of chief of staff, presenting this decision as a way to strengthen coordination between security, defense and diplomacy.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground remains tense. Regional authorities announced that the death toll from a Russian missile strike on Kharkiv on Friday has risen to two, including a three-year-old child. During the night, a Russian drone attack also targeted critical infrastructure in the region. Mykolaivcausing power outages, but no casualties according to local officials.
