The first meeting of the high-level working group on security guarantees for Ukraine took place yesterday in Kyiv. The group is co-chaired by the Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andriy Yermark, and former Danish Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The co-chairs launched the meeting in person, while other members of […]
The first meeting of the high-level working group on security guarantees for Ukraine took place yesterday in Kyiv. The group is co-chaired by the Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andriy Yermark, and former Danish Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The co-chairs launched the meeting in person, while other members of the group joined online.
When this war ends, Ukraine will need reliable and effective security guarantees from allied countries. These must provide a strong and credible deterrence, to prevent further Russian aggression. The purpose of the international working group is to provide recommendations on what these guarantees could look like and how they can work in practice. These can then form the basis for international treaties between Ukraine and guarantor states.
The group’s work will be guided by four key principles. First, Ukraine’s independence relies on its ability to defend itself. Second, its defence capabilities depend on successful reconstruction. Third sanctions are fundamental in protecting Ukraine’s security. Lastly, Ukraine’s future is as a sovereign nation at the heart of Europe.
Speaking at the kick off meeting Co-Chair Andriy Yermark said:
“We need a comprehensive and reliable solution. We must stop Russia, fully restore the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and deprive Russia of the possibility of continuing the game of historical reconstruction in the future. We need effective guarantees to deter aggression – military, political, diplomatic, institutional, financial.”
Co-Chair Anders Fogh Rasmussen said:
“I was in Irpin yesterday morning and saw first-hand the destruction and barbarism of Russia’s war. The visit reinforced two things I believe strongly. First, Ukraine must win this war. Second, this can never be allowed to happen again. This matters to all of us. There will be no stability in Europe until there is a lasting peace in Ukraine. That is the purpose of this group, to find a workable model that can guarantee Ukraine’s independence and security for the future.”
The composition of the working group is:
• Andriy Yermak, Ukraine, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Co-Chair)
• Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark, Former Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General (Co-Chair)
• Kevin Rudd, Australia, Prime Minister (2007-2010; 2013), Foreign Minister (2010-2012), and President of the Asia Society
• Carl Bildt, Sweden, Prime Minister (1991-1994) and Foreign Minister (2006-2014)
• Lord William J. Hague of Richmond, UK, Foreign Secretary (2010-2014)
• Michèle A. Flournoy, USA, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (2009-2012)
• Norbert Röttgen, Germany, Chair of Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee (2014-2021) and Environment Minister (2009-2012)
• Giampiero Massolo, Italy, President of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies
• Anna Fotyga, Poland, MEP (2014-present) and Foreign Affairs Minister of Poland (2006-2007)
• Adam Eberhardt, Poland, Director of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW)
• Marie Dumoulin, France, Director Wider Europe programme, European Council on Foreign Relations.
• Andrii Kostin, Ukraine, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, Moderator of the Group
• Roxana Cristescu, Ukraine, Senior Advisor at the European Institute of Peace (EIP)
(Members are taking part in a personal capacity, not as representatives of their organisations).