Global & US Headlines
‘100 %-Ready’ U.S.–Ukraine Security Pact Emerges from First Abu Dhabi Trilateral Talks
Zelenskyy announced in Vilnius that a bilateral U.S. security-guarantee agreement for Ukraine has been finalized and now awaits only the date and place for signature after the inaugural Ukraine-Russia-U.S. negotiating round in Abu Dhabi produced limited but continuing dialogue.
Focusing Facts
- The finalized pact must be ratified by both the U.S. Congress and the Verkhovna Rada after signing, according to Zelenskyy’s 26 Jan 2026 statement.
- A follow-up negotiating session among Kyiv, Moscow and Washington is scheduled for 1 Feb 2026 in Abu Dhabi, U.S. officials confirmed.
- Talks centred on a 20-point American framework that Russia wants amended to include Ukrainian troop withdrawals from partially-occupied eastern regions, a demand Kyiv rejects.
Context
Security ‘guarantees’ for Kyiv evoke the 1994 Budapest Memorandum—solemn promises that unraveled within two decades—much as Locarno (1925) failed to stop German revisionism; paper pledges alone have a mixed record. The Abu Dhabi format signals a shift from broad multilateral condemnation to hard bargaining among the three primary belligerents, mirroring how the 1953 Panmunjom talks gradually narrowed the Korean War to Washington, Beijing and Pyongyang. On a century-scale, the episode illustrates two structural trends: (1) great-power mediation now routinely leverages Gulf states’ neutrality and deep pockets, moving conflict diplomacy away from Geneva or Minsk; and (2) Ukraine’s security is drifting toward a de-facto bilateral alliance with the U.S., short of formal NATO entry—akin to post-1960 U.S.–Israel arrangements—reshaping Europe’s security architecture beyond the NATO/Russia binary conceived in 1949. Whether this moment matters hinges on enforcement: if Congress codifies rapid-response aid triggers, the pact could deter renewed aggression and crystallize a new line in Eastern Europe; if it proves another Budapest-style “assurance,” historians may file it alongside the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) as aspirational rhetoric preceding future warfare.
Perspectives
Western mainstream and allied outlets
ThePrint, The Manila Times, Devdiscourse, Independent — They cast Zelenskyy’s claim that a U.S. security-guarantee pact is "100 per cent ready" as welcome evidence the West is firmly backing Ukraine and that the Abu Dhabi talks are edging toward a cease-fire. Highlighting upbeat sound-bites while skimming over unresolved territorial disputes or U.S. congressional hurdles lets these outlets project momentum and unity that may not yet exist.
Wire-service reports foregrounding Kremlin messaging
News 4 Jax, WDIV, Daily Mail Online — Quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, they portray the Abu Dhabi meetings as "constructive" but stress that Russia’s territorial demands are unchanged and that "serious work" lies ahead. By centering Russian officials and framing Moscow as open-minded while blaming deadlock on competing visions, the coverage legitimizes Russia’s bid to keep occupied land and paints Kyiv as the side that must compromise.
Al Jazeera’s analytical coverage with Ukrainian expert scepticism
Al Jazeera’s analytical coverage with Ukrainian expert scepticism — It argues the promised Western security guarantees may be little more than "wishful thinking" unless backed by rapid weapons deliveries and binding enforcement mechanisms. Focusing on potential shortcomings and slow Western response can seed doubt about the value of the guarantees and risk equating Western caution with Russian aggression.