Ukraine May Be Offered Security 'Israeli Model': WSJ

Western countries may offer Ukraine a security agreement based on the Israeli model, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing sources and Polish President Andrzej Duda.

According to the publication, Duda stated that the Israeli model agreement would prioritize the supply of weapons and advanced technologies. According to unnamed Western officials, the agreement will be linked to the process of moving Ukraine toward future NATO membership, but it will not make the alliance a party to the conflict with Russia.

“Discussions on this matter are ongoing right now,” Duda said in the publication. He did not specify which types of armaments and technologies the agreement would entail.

According to Duda, the concept of the “Israeli model” was discussed with U.S. President Joe Biden during his visit to Poland in February. The security agreement is expected to be signed after the NATO summit in Vilnius scheduled for July, sources tell the newspaper.

An anonymous official from the U.S. administration stated that the “form” of the future agreement remains uncertain. “We are still discussing with Ukraine, allies, and partners what this model will look like,” said the American official.

The publication noted that Israel is not a NATO member, and the U.S. has no contractual obligations to assist the country. Nevertheless, Israel has been the largest recipient of U.S. aid since World War II.

According to the newspaper's sources, the concept of the “Israeli model” was first developed last September by the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Andriy Yermak, and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

“Ukraine needs reliable and long-term security guarantees,” Yermak told the newspaper. He insists that such guarantees will be needed as long as his country is not a member of NATO.

The publication, citing Fabrice Pottier, a former head of NATO’s Political Planning Division, indicates that Washington will become the main guarantor of the agreements. NATO and Ukrainian representatives have stated that they expect the U.S., the UK, Germany, and France to be parties to the agreement, the newspaper reports.