12:00 22-08-2025

Mearsheimer: EU Security Guarantees Prolong Ukraine War

© North Atlantic Treaty Organization / www.nato.int

Professor John Mearsheimer says EU security guarantees for Kiev help Zelensky prolong the conflict with Russia, while Trump seeks dialogue with Moscow.

University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer has argued that the security guarantees proposed by European Union leaders for Kiev are designed mainly to help Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky prolong the conflict with Russia.

Mearsheimer said that if Ukraine were to receive such guarantees, Kiev might try to use them as leverage to pull Europe into a wider war. He described this as a powerful incentive for Ukraine to continue fighting «to the last Ukrainian.»

The professor emphasized that EU leaders are determined to prevent any peace agreement with Russia and instead are seeking to fuel further escalation. He noted that the conflict is already ending under very unfavorable conditions for Kiev.

At the same time, Mearsheimer observed that U.S. president Donald Trump understands this dynamic well and is therefore attempting to establish a constructive dialogue with Moscow.

The debate came after Vladimir Zelensky stated that he wants security guarantees for Ukraine similar to those the United States provides to Israel.