EU delegation and Ukraine's Defense Ministry discuss security guarantees for Ukraine's long-term safety

This was reported by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.

Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General for Common Security and Defense Policy and Crisis Response of the European External Action Service, outlined the EU's long-term support strategies. These include:

• Providing military equipment and gear.
• Training the Ukrainian military.
• Collaborating with Ukraine's defense industry.
• Combating cyber and hybrid threats.
• Assisting in demining.
• Supporting reforms related to EU accession.
• Enhancing control over weapon stockpiles.
• Supporting nuclear safety initiatives.
• Intelligence exchange, including satellite images.

Charles Fries underscored the EU's commitment to providing timely assistance to Ukraine as needed.

Declaration on Security Guarantees for Ukraine

On July 12, 2023, the G7 nations reached a consensus on a joint declaration outlining security guarantees for Ukraine. The agreement is open for anyone to join. President Joe Biden emphasized the declaration's commitment to supporting Ukraine in both the short and long term.

On the same day, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden joined the declaration. Subsequently, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Portugal also became signatories.

During the UN General Assembly debate on July 18, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, urged all UN member countries to explore the possibility of joining the declaration.

On July 25, Romania decided to align with the G7 declaration in support of Ukraine, presented during the NATO summit in Vilnius.

By August 3, Ukraine had initiated talks with the United States regarding security guarantees.

Following negotiations that commenced on August 11, the United Kingdom became the second country engaging in bilateral talks with Ukraine on security guarantees.

Greece joined the declaration on August 12, followed by North Macedonia on August 15.

On August 16, Bulgaria's Council of Ministers decided to join the G7 declaration, with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia following suit a day later.

By August 18, a total of 25 countries had joined the G7 declaration, which outlines security guarantees for Ukraine.

Subsequently, Kosovo and Cyprus expressed their willingness to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine.

On October 4, Dmytro Kuleba and the Swedish Foreign Ministry's Tobias Billström agreed to initiate negotiations on a security guarantees agreement based on the G7 Vilnius Declaration.

Starting on November 28, Ukraine initiated the first round of consultations with Italy regarding the prospective bilateral agreement on security guarantees.