European leaders stress security guarantees key to lasting peace in Ukraine

European leaders meeting in Washington on Monday underlined that robust security guarantees for Ukraine will be essential to achieve a just and lasting peace, while also renewing calls for an urgent ceasefire.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – also held in Washington Monday – as a critical moment.

“We are here, Europeans, as friends and allies ... Stop the killing. This is really our common interest,” she said.

She added that discussions over guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5 (on mutual defense) are “so important” to ensure Ukraine’s long-term security. Von der Leyen also highlighted the plight of abducted Ukrainian children, stressing that their return must remain a top priority in talks.

NATO chief Mark Rutte also made a call to urgently halt the violence.

“If we play this well, we could end this. And we have to end this. We have to stop the killing. We have to stop the destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure. It is a terrible war,” he said.

Rutte emphasized the importance of seizing the momentum of the talks. “Let’s make the best out of today and make sure that from today onwards, we get this thing to an end as soon as possible.”

He also hailed Europe’s readiness to contribute to long-term guarantees for Kyiv as a breakthrough.

“The fact that you have said ‘I am willing to participate in the security guarantees,’ is a big step. It is really a breakthrough, and it makes all the difference,” Rutte said, calling this commitment crucial for the credibility of peace efforts.

- ‘Security of Europe, not just Ukraine’

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the so-called Article 5-style model for guarantees had first been proposed by Italy.

“If we want to reach peace and if we want to guarantee justice, we have to do it united … The first topic is security guarantees – how to be sure this won’t happen again. It is the precondition of every kind of peace,” she said, pledging continued support for Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the Washington meeting as an opportunity to take a “historic step.”

“When we talk about security, we’re talking about the security not just of Ukraine but of Europe as well, with the United Kingdom. Progress on security guarantees, of some sort of Article 5-style model, is a crucial step forward, alongside trilateral discussions to bring difficult issues to a head,” he said.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb stressed that small nations like Finland, with its 800-mile (1,287-kilometer) border with Russia – the longest of any NATO country with Russia – understand the stakes of security commitments.

“I think in the past two weeks, we've probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past 3 1/2 years,” he said.

"We are looking out of this meeting is about the security guarantees, which are a big part of this. And then, of course, moving towards a process with a trilateral meeting with you (US President Donald Trump) and President (Vladimir) Putin and President Zelenskyy," he added.

Citing Finland’s experience of finding a settlement with Moscow after the USSR invaded it in 1939, followed by additional hostilities in 1944, Stubb added: “I’m sure we’ll be able to find a solution in 2025 to end Russia’s war of aggression.”

In the 1944 Moscow Armistice, Finland ceded some territory to the USSR.

In recent moves towards ending the Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskyy has stressed the need for security guarantees for his country.