What security guarantee Ukraine already has and what Europe must add – Former Lithuanian PM
Former Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė at the YES meeting on February 24, 2026 (Photo: Victor Pinchuk Foundation)
Former Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė told NV who should be responsible for Ukraine’s security after the war ends, outlining the roles of allies and long-term guarantees needed to prevent renewed aggression on Feb. 27.
Ukraine must receive security guarantees that would serve as a real deterrent to the Russian dictator, Ingrida Šimonytėsaid, especially as Vladimir Putin seeks to influence the debate on security guarantees in order to make them nominal rather than substantive.
“I think they must be real legal commitments. Not another Budapest Memorandum, which is a declaration of goodwill. This must be a political commitment. They must be ratified by parliaments. These must be real obligations of the participating states,” the Lithuanian representative added.
Šimonytė said European countries should be the first to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, as the issue concerns the security and protection of Europe itself.
At the same time, the former prime minister stressed that the main security guarantee will always be the Ukrainian army. “This is the security guarantee that has worked throughout these four years. Despite the fact that Russia is larger and has more manpower,” she said. “The Ukrainian army is well equipped and well trained, with all the new technologies it has managed to develop during the war.”
She also emphasized that any guarantees can function only after peace is established. “Until then, it is merely a discussion about who would go there. First, the war must end. Only then can security guarantees be implemented,” she concluded.
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