Olena Davlikanova, Associate Senior Fellow at the Sahaidachnyi Security Center, gave an interview to the Australian outlet The Sydney Morning Herald on current security challenges and the West’s attempts to craft a “peace deal” formula with Russia.
In her comments, Olena notes: “When it comes to security guarantees from Russia, they are empty words.”
She emphasizes that any agreement only makes sense when it is backed not by rhetoric, but by the West’s real ability to protect Ukraine.
What is critically required?
• Guaranteed U.S. weapons and intelligence support in case of renewed aggression.
• A closed sky ensured by NATO, the U.S., and European allies.
Ukraine has been requesting this since 2022, but at the time Western partners declined due to the risk of direct confrontation with Russia. Without these steps, any document remains vulnerable — Russia can strike again the moment it senses weakness.
Olena highlights another essential point: U.S. guarantees must last longer than a single presidential term. The most reliable path is Congressional approval — clear, legally binding, and resistant to political shifts. Otherwise, such “guarantees” remain merely words that cannot deter an aggressor.
“A just peace is not achieved by the desire to end the war at any cost. A just peace is built on strength — the kind that can stop war altogether.”
📄 Full article in The Sydney Morning Herald: https://surl.li/anygzi