The US draft security guarantee for Ukraine included in the mooted 28-point peace plan offers Ukraine unprecedented Article 5-like assurances, the biggest concession to Kyiv in the Trump administration effort to bring the war to an end.

The text of the proposal has a simple line saying that the US will offer Ukraine security guarantees, but no details. However, a draft version of the details, obtained by Axios, shows the agreement is modelled on Nato’s Article 5 collective security clause.

The document outlines unprecedented commitments from the United States and its European allies to defend Ukraine against future Russian aggression—provided Kyiv agrees to a series of substantial concessions to Moscow, including relinquishing some 20% of its territory, reducing the size of its military and abandoning its Nato ambitions. The veracity of the draft was confirmed by sources within the White House.

Whether through a peace agreement or on the battlefield, Ukraine will lose the remaining parts of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in any case, which is why it is included in the US peace plan as territories within the Russian Federation, Trump told Fox News on November 21. 

“They will lose this land in a very short time,” he said.

The text, described as a parallel track to the proposed ceasefire framework, would establish a 10-year multilateral defence commitment, Axios reports. Any “significant, deliberate, and sustained” Russian military offensive across an agreed ceasefire line would be treated as a threat to the “peace and security of the entire Transatlantic community,” according to the draft.

In the event of an attack, the US would consulate with Kyiv, Nato, and European allies and would retain the discretion to determine the appropriate response—ranging from military action and logistical support to economic or reimposing sanctions measures. This is similar to Nato’s Article 5 that does not automatically lead to a military response in the event of an attack. Consultations always happen first. Article 5 has only been invoked once, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US.

The guarantees would involve Nato member states, and make Ukraine’s security an integral part of broader European stability.

“The guarantees are intended to function as a long-term deterrent,” one US official told Axios. The proposal includes a joint mechanism for monitoring ceasefire violations and is designed to embed Ukraine’s security firmly within Western defence architecture, despite a formal ban on Nato accession as part of the US deal.

The guarantees, which require signatures from Ukraine, the US, the EU, Nato, and Russia, are intended to last a decade and may be extended by mutual agreement. US officials have described the plan as a “major achievement” for Ukraine, providing protection in the absence of full Nato membership.

The Kremlin said it had not officially received the draft. “No, this plan has not been communicated to us,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on November 21.

European officials view the security guarantee and peace framework as the starting point of a process, not its conclusion. “It’s a draft—not yet a destination,” said one EU diplomat.