UPDATE - Zelenskyy stresses need for Article 5-like guarantees from US

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY ZELENSKYY, CHANGE IN HEADLINE/DECK/LEDE, OTHER EDITS

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday stressed the "essential" need for legally binding security guarantees from the US much like NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, saying such commitments are central to Ukraine’s future security framework.

Speaking to reporters following talks with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in The Hague, Zelenskyy said Ukraine and its partners are discussing several planks of security guarantees, with US-backed commitments forming the core of those efforts, alongside European-led initiatives.

“We have several blocks of security guarantees that are essential for security in Ukraine,” he said, adding that the Europe-led Coalition of the Willing represents what “Europe Plus can provide,” with participation also extending to non-European partners such as Canada and Japan “with different statuses, with different constitutions.”

Zelenskyy, on the heels of saying Ukraine could forsake its NATO membership aspirations to help reach a peace deal, underlined that bilateral guarantees from Washington remain the most critical element, describing them as “Article 5-like or Article 5 mirror” commitments.

“Number one is bilateral security guarantees from the United States of America. We have already reached the details there, we are working on these details,” he said, adding that such guarantees must be “legally binding” and approved by the US Congress. “These should be strong security guarantees, not like Budapest or Minsk.”

- Dutch military assistance

Zelenskyy said his talks in the Netherlands focused on military assistance, accountability mechanisms, and joint defense production.

He described his discussions with Schoof as “very good” and “substantive,” thanking the Netherlands for its sustained support since the start of the war.

“I would like to express special gratitude for the recent defense package – €700 million ($824 million) for defense,” he said, adding that the Netherlands’ backing of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative – a program coordinated by NATO and the US to supply Kyiv with US-made weapons and ammunition – would allow Kyiv to purchase US-made weapons, including air defense missiles unavailable in Europe.

He said the two countries are also working toward joint defense production, “in particular the production of modern drones in Ukraine and the Netherlands,” stressing that “every step of support right now carries particular significance.”

- Sideline meetings

On the sidelines of a diplomatic conference in The Hague, Zelenskyy said he joined a meeting with Schoof, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset that was focused on establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine.

He said the body would consider claims for damage and losses caused by Russia’s actions, underlining that “justice is just as important as peace.”

In a separate statement, Zelenskyy urged European leaders to make a firm decision on frozen Russian assets, most of which are held in Europe.

“These Russian assets can and must be fully used to defend against Russia’s own aggression. The aggressor must pay,” he said, arguing that financial pressure is essential for accountability. He said the remarks were delivered during a speech in the Dutch parliament.

Earlier, Zelenskyy met Sandu in The Hague, thanking neighboring Moldova for its support and discussing cooperation, post-war reconstruction, and shared security concerns.

He said Ukraine and Moldova’s paths toward European Union membership should advance “simultaneously and closely coordinated.”