Why it matters
Peace is not just a signature on paper. It is measured by trust, the mechanism of guarantees, and whether Ukraine will be able to restore control over its own security. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's remarks at the YES conference on February 24 emphasized that without the restoration of positive relations between the parties the agreement will be unstable. This is a signal to our partners: guarantees must be not declarations, but concrete instruments.
What was said at YES
"We will not be able to reach an agreement if we do not establish positive relations with both sides. I believe we are making progress, and I hope this war will be resolved. We will do everything possible to bring the parties closer so that they can agree and resolve all issues"
— Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy
During the same discussion Witkoff stressed a key US condition: peace is impossible until the Ukrainian people are confident that the war will not happen again. This is a position that shifts the focus — from a negotiating formula to guarantees of the non-recurrence of aggression.
"If the partners conclude a peace agreement, will they ever be able to trust the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin or his successors and will they respect Ukraine's sovereignty?"
— Aleksander Kwaśniewski, third President of Poland (question to Witkoff)
Context and key details
It was also reported at the event that during the latest trilateral talks the issue of territory was temporarily set aside in order to make progress on guarantees and procedural aspects. This is a tactical move — but it does not remove from the agenda the most difficult questions of status and security.
Earlier President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the US, according to him, had joined Russia's demand to withdraw Ukrainian forces from certain parts of Donbas; in Washington, according to Zelensky, the idea of creating a demilitarized "free economic zone" was discussed. This is a subject of dispute and a test of trust between Kyiv and its partners.
What this means in practice
For Ukraine — the main task: to convert partners' goodwill into legally binding mechanisms (guarantees, monitoring systems, mechanisms for responding to violations). It is these instruments that will make the restoration of Ukrainian security real, not just declarative.
For allies — a test of willingness not only to send words of support, but to invest resources and create institutions that will guarantee the inevitability of consequences in case of a breach of the agreement.
What's next
On the evening of February 25 a new phone call took place between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump supports holding a leaders-level meeting after the next trilateral talks, scheduled for early March. This provides a time window for agreeing on guarantee mechanisms.
Now it's up to the partners: Witkoff's words emphasize that without clear, transparent, and enforceable guarantees any agreement risks remaining on paper. Ukrainian society and government must demand such mechanisms — because this is about the safety of millions of people.
The question that remains open: will the allies convert diplomatic support into the instruments that will make guarantees effective — and how quickly can that happen?
