The EU and the US have agreed to provide Ukraine with security guarantees.

According to RIA Novosti, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that European Union (EU) countries and the United States have agreed to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, similar to Article 5 of the NATO defense treaty.

"This is truly a broad, meaningful agreement, unlike anything we've had before: Both Europe and the US are willing to provide for Ukraine.""Security guarantees. At the same time, President Zelensky mentioned Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, meaning we are talking about similar security guarantees for Ukraine," Chancellor Merz said at a press conference broadcast on the German government's website on December 15.

The German leader noted that the US side "has assumed its relevant obligations politically, and in the future legally."

Regarding frozen Russian assets, Prime Minister Merz stated that Russia will not have access to them in the "near future".

"The decision made last week is that Russian assets in Europe will be frozen indefinitely and remain inactive for a long time. Therefore, the Central Bank of Russia, as well as the Russian state, will not have access to these assets in the near future," Merz said, expressing hope that the amount of money that could be withdrawn to provide further support to Ukraine would be politically resolved this week.

Meanwhile, returning from Berlin, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Ukraine's territorial concessions were part of the US's conditions for acting as a guarantor of a peace agreement.

"I wouldn't say that the U.S. has outlined its expectations precisely regarding possible concessions. Only Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr. Kushner – President Trump's son-in-law – have repeatedly emphasized that this should be Ukraine's decision, that they want to facilitate the negotiation process, and not coerce Ukraine, have no intention of putting pressure on Ukraine, or leaning toward another concession. While not all of Europe shares this view, that territorial concessions should be a factor in a future agreement," said Prime Minister Donald Tush in a speech broadcast by the Polish Prime Minister's Office.

The US administration had previously announced the development of a plan for resolving the Ukraine issue. The Kremlin stated that Russia remains ready to negotiate and remains a platform for discussion in Anchorage.