What kind of security guarantees could Ukraine get?

If their politicians had the guts for it, they would have done it long ago — and much more easily: by providing the country with long-range weapons (ballistics). So, let’s discuss other options.

1. European continental army

It’s clear that NATO is already an inefficient bloc — a single country can block any action, so counting on it to protect anyone makes little sense. In contrast, Russia has shown the real vulnerability of the European continent to war, while Ukraine has proven that Russia can be fought off. Therefore, creating a European army from a coalition of states is the best alternative to any future threats. In a way, it would be a mini-NATO on European soil.

For Ukraine, such a guarantee would be the best, provided it actively participates in building such an army.

At present, this idea seems unlikely, as Europeans still hope to enjoy a comfortable life funded by American money when it comes to security. The belief that Trump will leave and everything will be fixed is much stronger today than the reality, in which a return to the past is no longer possible.

2. Weapons

In second place, weapons could serve as guarantees for Ukraine. Here, I’m talking about all types of weapons (except nuclear), not those handouts with a bunch of conditions. Of course, Tomahawks and F-35s might not be deployed on its territory. But that’s fine — then place them on the border, and in the event of a new Russian invasion, Ukraine must have access to all stockpiles. Additionally, the Ukrainian Armed Forces should train with this equipment in neighboring countries — on all high-tech weaponry.

3. Defense funding

Injecting billions of dollars into the defense sector — military production and fortification construction — would also be a solid guarantee for Ukraine. However, this should be a fixed amount or a set percentage of the defense budgets of partner countries. There’s logic in this: Ukraine is effectively carrying out a part of their defense work by itself.

4. Sanctions

Maintaining sanctions on Russia serves as a guarantee that it will remain weak enough to prevent another large-scale aggression. And if China helps keep it in check, it too will be weakened relative to the West.

This functions as a form of guarantee, because, whether we like it or not, no one will fight for Ukraine.

Source

About the author: Viktor Andrusiv, political and public figure, analyst, and columnist.

The editorial team does not necessarily share the opinions expressed by blog authors.