‘Korea-style DMZ’ for Ukraine? US officials, Expert Argue for New Approach to Kyiv’s Security

Talks over Ukraine’s future security have recently intensified, but a significant rift has emerged between the US and its European allies over who will shoulder the long-term burden of the war-torn country’s defense.

A final framework for security assurances remains elusive, with the disagreements exposing a fundamental divide on the path forward.

As Kyiv Post has learned from diplomatic sources, US officials have recently floated a controversial peace proposal centered on a demilitarized zone (DMZ), a concept that has not been well-received by European counterparts.

One Western diplomat told Kyiv Post on Tuesday that the Europeans were not “awfully fan” of the idea, signaling deep-seated concerns that it would leave them to police a fragile peace alone.

In the meantime, a retired US Army Colonel with NATO experience suggests it could provide the only path to peace, despite widespread opposition.

‘Credible’ But Unpopular DMZ Model

Retired US Army Colonel Richard Williams – who once served as Deputy Director of the Armaments Section in NATO’s Defense Investment Division – offers a bleak assessment of what he calls the “elusive post-conflict ‘security guarantees’ for Ukraine and Europe” in an interview with the Kyiv Post.

Williams argues that given Vladimir Putin’s “restrictions,” credible security guarantees for Ukraine are almost impossible to find. He points out that Russia has made “no compromises itself in the interest of promoting peace,” citing a lack of territorial concessions, no moves toward a ceasefire, and no deadlines for de-escalation.

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‘You Will Be Left to Suffer and Die’: Rutte Warns Young Russians Against Fighting in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte issued a stark appeal to young Russians not to fight in the war in Ukraine, saying they will be sent to the front with poor training, bad equipment and a high chance of being killed, wounded or abandoned. He backed his warning with NATO estimates that Russia is losing more than 30,000 soldiers a month – more in a single month than the Soviet Union lost during its entire 10-year war in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

According to Williams, the promised sanctions from the Trump administration have also not been implemented. “Anyone looking for daylight between Putin’s and Trump’s policies to curtail the war would be hard pressed to find any!” he said, adding that “little effort has been made by either.”

Williams also noted that Trump has criticized Ukraine for its recent strikes, rather than the “unprecedented Russian air strikes aimed at killing civilians.” The expert reminds that Putin has stated Ukraine can never join NATO and that no NATO nations can be part of a peacekeeping force.

Given the limited options, Williams suggests that the “only credible ‘security guarantee’ would be generally replicating the ambitious Korean DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) used to divide the two Koreas when the Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953.”

While acknowledging a Ukrainian DMZ would be longer, he believes an “approximately 4 kilometer width would be reasonable” and that “sensors, drones & other surveillance capabilities would reduce the requirement for a large peacekeeping force.”

Williams also proposed a controversial element: “Should a belligerent aggression make it to the 2 kilometer point, certain measures can be taken. In the case of Ukraine, a NATO-like Article 5 would be proposed to be invoked as a consequence of the aggression.”

He concludes with a pessimistic view of Russia’s intentions, stating, “in the meantime, there are no indications that Moscow is serious about pursuing peace, even if all her preconditions for it are met.”

Trump Team’s Old Plan

As Kyiv Post has learned from diplomatic sources, the DMZ proposal has recently been a central component of the Trump administration’s broader promise to end the war.

The concept, which has been floated with European officials since early summer, is part of a series of scenarios being considered by the administration to swiftly end the conflict.

The plan would effectively freeze the conflict, allowing Russia to retain control of occupied Ukrainian territory.

In return, Ukraine would be pressured to formally renounce its ambition to join NATO for at least two decades.

The enforcement of the DMZ, a critical sticking point, would be left to European forces, with the U.S. providing only intelligence and air defense support.

One administration member reportedly stated that “the barrel of the gun is going to be European.”

Kyiv, European Leaders Unwavering

Ukraine has consistently rejected any notion of territorial concessions, with President Volodymyr Zelensky calling the DMZ proposal a “dead” idea.

Kyiv argues that it would not lead to lasting peace but would instead leave Ukrainian cities vulnerable to Russian artillery.

The presence of Ukrainian forces in Russia’s southern Kursk region also complicates the notion of a fixed border.European leaders also share this wariness, Western diplomats told Kyiv Post. They are concerned that the plan would legitimize Russian aggression and undermine international law.