According to a Reuters report on the 19th, following the Russia-US Alaska summit and another meeting between US and Ukrainian leaders at the White House, American and European military planners have begun studying security guarantee schemes for Ukraine. The Pentagon is examining forms of support the US could provide beyond weapons deliveries. US officials stated that both American and European sides need time for deliberation to determine which schemes are both militarily feasible and acceptable to Russia.

What exactly do US-European "security guarantees" for Ukraine entail? What are the possible options? What preconditions might Russia have for accepting security guarantees for Ukraine? Multiple analysts were interviewed on these questions.

**"If Russia Accepts 'NATO Article 5' Application to Ukraine, There Must Be Preconditions"**

US Middle East Special Envoy Whitkoff previously stated in an interview that Trump and Putin's meeting in Alaska on the 15th "successfully secured a 'concession': the US can provide security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which is one of the reasons Ukraine wants to join NATO." Whitkoff claimed that both US and Russian sides reached consensus that America and European countries can effectively provide Ukraine with Article 5-like security guarantees. "This is the first time we've heard Russia agree to this point." Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is NATO's collective defense clause.

According to Reuters, many questions regarding US-European security guarantees for Ukraine remain unresolved. Reuters cited two informed sources saying that one option involves deploying European troops to Ukraine, but under US command and control. These forces would not operate under NATO banners but act in their national capacities.

However, this option would be difficult for Russia to accept. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on the 19th, "We reiterate our repeatedly expressed position that we reject any schemes envisioning the deployment of military contingents to Ukraine with NATO country participation." She said such moves could lead to "uncontrolled escalation of the conflict with unpredictable consequences."

Wang Xiaoquan, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, analyzed that if Russia agrees to "NATO Article 5" application to Ukraine, there must be preconditions or "demands," likely including Russia and Ukraine first signing ceasefire or peace agreements, Ukraine not joining NATO nor deploying NATO forces or military facilities on its territory, while further reducing its own military capabilities.

He believes Russia opposes Ukraine's NATO membership primarily to prevent deployment of forces and military facilities that pose substantial threats to Russia within Ukrainian territory. The content of "NATO Article 5" itself - "if Ukraine suffers armed attack, other NATO countries treat it as an attack on themselves and take necessary action to assist the attacked country" - has actually occurred since Russia's "special military operation" began, becoming an established fact. This explains why Russia might accept certain "Article 5-like" security arrangements under specific conditions.

**Air Support May Be Possible Option, But Ground Deployment "Very Tricky"**

The Wall Street Journal analyzes that the Pentagon might consider deploying aircraft outside Ukrainian territory to provide support when European forces stationed in Ukraine come under attack. Additionally, the US military might use unmanned reconnaissance aircraft to monitor peace agreement implementation, use American transport aircraft to move European troops and equipment, and provide air defense systems and military intelligence to European forces.

The BBC believes that monitoring Ukrainian airspace after a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement is one possible option. This could be achieved through deploying aircraft at existing air bases in neighboring Poland or Romania, with US participation. On land, the situation is more complex: Ukraine is vast, with frontlines currently stretching over approximately 1,000 kilometers. Even if Russian President Putin agrees - which he actually wouldn't - Europe would struggle to assemble sufficient forces to guard this contact line. In reality, many European countries are unwilling to send troops to Ukraine, as "no one wants to trigger World War III."

The BBC analysis suggests that under these circumstances, military support would more likely focus on training, intelligence, and logistics support, helping Ukraine rebuild its damaged military while continuing to provide weapons and ammunition.

Zhao Long, Deputy Director of the International Strategy and Security Studies Institute at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told reporters that from Ukraine's perspective, as an "alternative" to NATO membership, security guarantees must be a binding and enforceable collective defense mechanism, but no clear roadmap for such schemes has emerged yet.

"For example, how would security guarantee mechanisms operate? Which countries can participate? Which countries are willing to participate? Where are the boundaries of collective defense? Do relevant forces need to be deployed to Ukraine under normal circumstances?" He stated that various parties have different demands on these issues, with considerable distance remaining before reaching consensus. "If security guarantees for Ukraine are a painting, only an outline has been drawn so far."

**How Will the US and Europe Divide Responsibilities in Ukraine Security Guarantees?**

Trump's statements regarding US-European division of responsibilities in Ukraine security guarantees are noteworthy. According to Deutsche Welle, Trump stated that European countries are very actively wanting to secure Ukraine's safety, while the US would assist Europe by "giving them very good protection." "They (Europe) are the first line of defense because they're right there, but we'll also assist them, we'll be involved." He also posted on his Truth Social platform that security guarantees would be provided by multiple European countries in coordination with the United States.

Zhao Long believes this scheme could perhaps be summarized as "Europe pays, America supplies (weapons)" - this isn't what Ukraine most wants to hear currently, but the US has also indicated it would participate in and coordinate this mechanism, achieving the basic objectives of Ukraine and its European "support team."

However, The Wall Street Journal quoted James Black, Deputy Director of RAND Corporation's European Defense and Security Research Group, saying that without reliable US security guarantees, "it's hard to imagine how to effectively deter Russia or reassure Ukraine." Black stated that European armies lack the logistics, intelligence gathering, and cybersecurity capabilities needed to confront Russia, as well as large quantities of precision-guided missiles.

Wang Xiaoquan indicated that Europe lacks sufficient financial resources to independently and continuously support Ukraine's combat operations against Russia. The real purpose behind Europe's current refusal to abandon aid to Ukraine while urging Ukraine not to anger Trump is hoping Ukraine can hold on, buying time for Europe to convince America - there remain strong forces within the US supporting Ukraine and Europe. However, if the Trump administration employs decisive measures in the mediation process and Russia can make certain concessions, Europe would struggle to support Ukraine's continued combat against Russia on its own.