What could US "security guarantees" for Ukraine look like?

Quelle: VIDEOELEPHANT (Glomex)

Several heads of state and government from around the world recently met at the White House to discuss a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. The meeting took place just days after the meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where no agreement on a ceasefire could be reached. However, the meeting was seen as an important step towards direct talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. One of the key conclusions of the summit was the need for "security guarantees" for Ukraine to prevent further Russian invasion. At the beginning of the conflict in 2022, Ukraine hoped for NATO membership, which would have brought it guarantees under Article 5, stating that an attack on a NATO member is considered an attack on all members. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has hinted that the US could participate in "Article 5-like protective measures" for Ukraine, although the country's NATO membership is currently on hold. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also mentioned the possibility of assembling a force from a "coalition of the willing" to be stationed in Ukraine after a ceasefire agreement. A number of recommendations have been made, but it is not entirely clear what such a guarantee could entail. One option would be the creation of a full-fledged, presumably armed "peacekeeping force" to support the Ukrainian military. Although this force would only be used for defensive purposes, the goal would be to deter Russia by forcing the Kremlin to consider a fight with troops from NATO member states. Alternatively, a smaller "tripwire" force could prevent Russia from endangering non-Ukrainian Europeans in a future invasion attempt, although this force would not have any defense capabilities. Establishing an "observer force" tasked with informing about impending military actions is another possibility. However, this force would not be large enough to build any kind of defense, and this function could instead be performed with satellites and ground cameras.