Rubio Says Postwar Security Guarantees for Ukraine Must Be Acceptable to Russia
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said security guarantees for Ukraine after the war must be acceptable to Russia to be effective and key to Ukraine's agreement to any arrangements. The United States and its partners have not yet settled on a final guarantee framework while preparing for U.S.-mediated talks in the United Arab Emirates.
Key points
- Rubio said postwar security guarantees for Ukraine will not work without Russia's consent.
- The United States and its partners have not agreed on a final security-guarantee plan.
- The parties have considered different guarantee options, but no final decision has been made.
- U.S.-mediated Ukrainian and Russian talks are planned in the United Arab Emirates, with sources disagreeing on whether they will take place on November 10–11 or December 10–11.
- The talks are described as the first U.S.-mediated Ukraine-Russia negotiations since February 2026.
- Russia's delegation is expected to be led by Vladimir Medinsky and to include General Staff representatives Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky and deputy foreign ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin.
- Ukrainian media reported that Rustem Umyarov will lead Ukraine's delegation, but the Office of the President did not officially disclose its composition.
Why it matters
The conditions Rubio set for security guarantees directly affect whether Ukraine accepts arrangements for ending the war. No final framework has been agreed, and the planned U.S.-mediated talks are expected to address mutual security guarantees. Russia's participation through a higher-level delegation and the question of European involvement could affect the substance and format of the negotiations. Formalizing guarantees in a separate international agreement would also raise ratification and implementation questions.
What happened
Rubio said U.S.-backed security guarantees for Ukraine after the war would not work without Russia's consent. He also said guarantees were important to Ukraine's acceptance of broader arrangements and that Ukraine needed confidence in its postwar security for the war to end. He did not rule out securing guarantees through a separate international agreement, although the details had not yet been discussed. The United States and its partners are still considering different options, and no final plan has been adopted. Separately, preparations continued for U.S.-mediated talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in the United Arab Emirates.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes that guarantees acceptable to Russia are necessary for the mechanism to function and for Ukraine to consent to arrangements. It also highlights the absence of an agreed final framework and the importance of Ukraine's confidence in its postwar security. Ukrainian reports pay considerable attention to the composition and attendance of the planned Abu Dhabi talks, including representatives of the E4 countries, NATO and the European Commission.
How international sources describe it
International reporting centers Rubio's warning that security guarantees would fail without Russia's consent while noting that no final plan had been agreed. It also foregrounds preparations for the U.S.-mediated talks and the expected higher-level Russian delegation.
Where reporting differs
Ukrainian sources disagree over whether the planned Abu Dhabi talks will take place on November 10–11 or December 10–11. There is also a discrepancy over European participation: Ukrainian reports described European representatives as attending, while the Kremlin said the meetings would take place without Europe's participation.
Background
Russia has called for mutual security guarantees for both sides. Ukrainian and Russian delegations are due to hold U.S.-mediated talks in the United Arab Emirates, described as the first such talks since February 2026. Russia's delegation is expected to be led by Vladimir Medinsky and to include General Staff representatives Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky and deputy foreign ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin; Ryabkov will participate for the first time. Ukrainian media reported that Rustem Umyarov will lead Ukraine's delegation, although the Office of the President did not officially disclose its composition. Representatives of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, NATO and the European Commission were expected to attend, according to Umyarov. U.S. special envoys were also expected to meet the other delegations before the talks.