The martial law in Ukraine will only end when the country receives real security guarantees from its international partners. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky in response to a question about the possibility of lifting martial law and opening borders in the event of a ceasefire with the Russian Federation.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Security Guarantees — A Key Condition
“We all want the war to end. Only then will martial law be lifted, and only in that way. But the end of martial law will come at the moment when Ukraine receives security guarantees. Without security guarantees, this war has not truly ended; we cannot acknowledge that it has ended. Because there is a risk of renewed aggression from such a neighbor.”
The President emphasized that security guarantees must include continuous monitoring by international partners and their presence in Ukraine. Zelensky expressed hope that if Kyiv can finalize all documents and sign an agreement covering about 20 points with key international players — Americans, Europeans, and ‘Russians’ — then the country will simultaneously receive both security guarantees and a clear signal about the end of the war.
The Role of the Armed Forces and International Negotiations
Volodymyr Zelensky also stressed that the decision to lift martial law will depend on the position of the Ukrainian military command. According to him, this issue has already been discussed at a meeting of the Staff, and the final decision will be made only after the military confirms the readiness of all relevant infrastructure for a change in regime.
A meeting between Ukrainian and American delegations in the U.S. has concluded, lasting over two hours. Following this, negotiations took place between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump with leaders of European countries. Before these negotiations, Donald Trump had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he characterized as “good and very productive.” It is expected that the leaders will communicate again by phone after the conclusion of the negotiations between the Presidents of the U.S. and Ukraine.
Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that the Kremlin continues to ignore the key provisions of various peace initiatives, including the initial U.S. peace agreement with 28 points. Such conditions include reliable security guarantees for Ukraine and the issue of possible territorial exchanges, as stated in the ISW report from December 17.