Zelensky asks US to support Ukraine 'at least' as it supports Israel

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine expects Washington to provide long-term security assistance modeled on the US-Israel relationship, as European countries supporting Kiev reportedly rejected some key points in US President Donald Trump's peace proposal.

Washington presented a draft agreement to end the conflict between Kiev and Moscow during talks in Paris last week. At a subsequent meeting in London on April 23 – downgraded at the last minute after Mr Zelensky publicly rejected some key US proposals – Ukrainian officials and their European NATO partners reportedly put forward a counter-proposal.

Speaking to reporters on April 25, Mr. Zelensky affirmed that any future peace agreement with Moscow must be backed by sustainable military, financial and political support from the United States.

“The discussions in London focused on security guarantees from the United States. We expect these guarantees to be at least as strong as those the United States provides to Israel. In addition, we expect support from our European partners and are currently actively building the necessary infrastructure to implement these guarantees,” Zelensky said.

The idea of ​​supporting Ukraine on the “Israeli model” was first raised under President Joe Biden, when Western officials began to acknowledge that Kiev was unlikely to join NATO. In the absence of collective security guarantees, the West sought to ensure at least a sustained and uninterrupted flow of military aid to Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky’s statement comes amid rising tensions with Washington, as Mr Trump presses Kiev to accept what the media has called his “final offer” to end the conflict. According to sources, Washington’s proposed framework includes freezing the conflict on the current front lines and recognizing Crimea as Russian territory – something Mr Zelensky has vehemently rejected.

In an interview with the magazineTimeOn April 25, Mr. Trump declared that “Crimea will stay with Russia.” He argued that Kiev will never have enough weapons or manpower to take back the peninsula, which “was given to Russia without a shot being fired.” According to RT, Crimea officially joined the Russian Federation in 2014 after a referendum, which took place after a Western-backed coup in Kiev.

“Our position has not changed,” Mr. Zelensky stressed on April 25, although he acknowledged that Ukraine remains dependent on continued U.S. support.

Mr Trump and other senior US officials have warned that if there is no progress soon, Washington may reconsider its role as mediator and turn its attention to other global priorities. Ukrainian officials are now preparing for the possibility that the US will cut back on aid if the talks collapse, according to sources.

Moscow has long expressed its willingness to negotiate and expressed appreciation for Mr. Trump’s peace initiatives. But Russian leaders have repeatedly stressed that they want a lasting solution to the crisis, warning that a temporary ceasefire would only give the West an opportunity to rearm Ukraine’s military. Russia insists that any peace deal must recognize the current territorial realities and address the root causes of the conflict, including Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO.