Key points
- Non-NATO troops proposed security
- Trump-Putin meeting revived peace efforts
- Zelenskyy supports international security guarantees
ISLAMABAD: In a potential breakthrough towards ending the war in Ukraine, the United States could take the lead in overseeing a large demilitarised buffer zone within Ukrainian territory, should a peace agreement with Russia be reached, according to NBC News.
This proposed buffer zone would create a non-military zone inside Ukrainian territory, separating Russian and Ukrainian forces. The precise boundaries remain under discussion.
Due to its superior technological capabilities, the US would spearhead surveillance efforts—deploying drones, satellites, and other intelligence tools—while coordinating with other nations involved.
Buffer zone
Security within the buffer zone would likely be enforced by troops from non‑NATO countries. Crucially, no US military personnel would be positioned inside Ukraine. Magazine Politico first reported the outline of this concept.
Russian President Vladimir Putin must agree to any security arrangement. NATO involvement remains a red line for Moscow, so planners are deliberately avoiding NATO-branded forces.
Instead, the security strategy would rely on a patchwork of bilateral agreements between Ukraine and its allies, offering protection without invoking NATO Article V, which binds allies to collective defence.
Security assurances
The plan’s implementation hinges on agreement from Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as leaders of nations involved in the security assurances—possibly including President Donald Trump, reports NBC News.
This idea has gained traction following Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska on 15 August, said NBC. The session was expected to spark further diplomatic dialogue, possibly between Putin and Zelenskyy, but little progress has been made since.
Nonetheless, Ukraine’s allies continue drafting potential security guarantees, considered essential for lasting peace.
On Thursday, members of the “coalition of the willing”—led informally by France and the UK—met to formalise elements of the plan. Subsequently, Zelenskyy posted on X: “We discussed in detail each country’s readiness to make a contribution to ensuring security on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace. We coordinated positions and reviewed elements of security guarantees.”
Foreign troops in Ukraine
On Friday, Putin dismissed the notion of foreign troops in Ukraine, stating: “As for possible military contingents in Ukraine — this is one of the primary reasons for drawing Ukraine into NATO… And if decisions are reached that will lead to peace… then I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine. That’s all… Russia will implement them in full. And we will respect those security guarantees that… must be developed for both Russia and Ukraine.”
Planners must also resolve operational challenges—such as defining what constitutes a Russian incursion and determining appropriate responses—amid potential post‑agreement disputes.
Ukraine’s economic lifelines
Moreover, Turkey has been proposed to safeguard Ukraine’s economic lifelines. It would ensure uninterrupted maritime trade in the Black Sea by overseeing the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits—critical trade routes that it helped secure following Russia’s invasion.
At the Pentagon, Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is leading discussions on deterrence, training, and defence industrial collaboration.
A possible $100 billion deal is being negotiated between the US and Ukraine: Ukraine would purchase American weaponry, and the US would receive intellectual property rights to Ukraine’s advanced defence technology, according to NBC News.
Four security options
After Trump met with Putin, Caine presented four security options to the president, recommending the most assertive approach—but it remains unclear which, if any, Trump endorses.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on the plan’s specifics: “President Trump is the decision maker… Out of respect for ongoing diplomatic negotiations, the White House is not going to get ahead of him on these important matters.” She added: “Anyone anonymously claiming to know what he will or will not support doesn’t know what they are talking about.”
