Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a proposed 15-year security guarantee from the United States, insisting that Ukraine needs far longer and more permanent assurances to deter future Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy disclosed this in a statement on Monday, following recent negotiations between Ukrainian and U.S. officials over security arrangements tied to efforts to end the ongoing war with Russia.

According to the Ukrainian leader, discussions with American negotiators produced an understanding on the framework of security guarantees being proposed by Washington, following talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Our teams have discussed this issue, and yesterday we agreed with the President of the United States that Ukraine will receive strong security guarantees from the U.S.,” Zelenskyy said.

However, he noted that the guarantees, as currently drafted, fall short of Ukraine’s expectations.

“At this stage, the guarantees are not permanent. The documents provide for a 15-year period, with the possibility of extension,” he said.

Zelenskyy revealed that he raised objections directly with President Trump, stressing that Russia’s war against Ukraine had already stretched beyond a decade, beginning with Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalating into a full-scale invasion in 2022.

“I told him that our war has already lasted more than ten years, and therefore we would very much like the guarantees to endure much longer — for 30, 40, or even 50 years,” the Ukrainian president said.

He argued that long-term guarantees spanning several decades would send a clear and powerful signal of sustained U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s security and sovereignty.

Zelenskyy added that such a move would amount to a historic decision, noting that President Trump had responded by saying he would consider the request.

The demand comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Kyiv maintaining that credible security guarantees are indispensable to any lasting peace agreement.

Ukrainian officials have consistently warned that without firm and enforceable assurances, any settlement would merely postpone future aggression.

For Ukraine, Zelenskyy reiterated, security guarantees are not symbolic gestures but a matter of survival shaped by years of conflict with Russia.