Ukraine, expecting Trump to push for peace deal, is prioritizing security guarantees over territorial concerns — NYT

With the prospect of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine appearing more likely following Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory, Kyiv is prioritizing security over territorial concerns, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing two high-ranking Ukrainian officials.

“The territorial question is extremely important, but it’s still the second question. The first question is security guarantees,” one of the officials reportedly said.

Roman Kostenko, the secretary of Ukraine's parliamentary Defense Committee, told the NYT that negotiations should be “based on guarantees” and that “nothing is more important” for Ukraine.

Another senior official told the paper that Ukraine’s government wants any ceasefire to support economic recovery by ensuring security for investors, with a key consideration being the width of a demilitarized zone.