U.S. Asks Russia to Accept Article 5-Like Guarantees for Ukraine at 2-Day Abu Dhabi Talks
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Nov 9
U.S. Asks Russia to Accept Article 5-Like Guarantees for Ukraine at 2-Day Abu Dhabi Talks
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Nov 9
Summary
U.S. officials said Washington will formally ask Russia to accept NATO-like security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace deal — the first time it has put that proposal directly to Moscow.
Tuesday’s opening of 2 days of talks in Abu Dhabi will test whether Russia would tolerate Article 4- and Article 5-like commitments from the U.S. and NATO to defend Ukraine after any settlement.
Two senior administration officials described the request as a central element of the negotiations, aimed at giving Kyiv postwar protection strong enough to deter another Russian attack.
The move pushes a proposal Washington had floated before into direct diplomacy with the country that launched the invasion, raising the stakes for the latest round of U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks.
Could these proposed Article 5-style protections be implemented unilaterally to deter Russia if the Abu Dhabi peace talks collapse?
With Europe sidelined in Abu Dhabi, can a U.S.-brokered security guarantee for Kyiv survive without direct European enforcement?
Why would Moscow ever accept NATO-style protections for Ukraine when preventing such alliances was a primary motive for the invasion?
Five Years Into the Ukraine War: Abu Dhabi Summit, U.S. Policy Shifts, and the Struggle for Enforceable Security Guarantees
Overview
Facing soaring diesel prices and rising inflation before the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, President Trump struck a direct energy deal with Russia, easing sanctions to lower fuel costs. This move reduced U.S. leverage over Moscow and shifted diplomatic pressure onto Ukraine, with U.S. officials threatening to withhold military aid unless Kyiv paused attacks on Russian refineries. The sudden policy shift shocked European allies and angered Ukrainian leaders, all while Russia intensified strikes on Ukraine and maintained hardline demands. As peace talks began in Abu Dhabi, Ukraine insisted on binding Western security guarantees before any territorial concessions, while Europe increased military aid to support Ukraine’s defense.