According to the special envoy of Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, Russia has given consent that the US and Europe provide Ukraine with “robust” security guarantees as part of a possible peace framework. After the summit in Alaska between Trump and Putin, Witkoff explained that the arrangement would allow Washington and the European partners to give Ukraine “Article 5-like” guarantees in a manner somewhat similar to NATO’s foggy guarantee that an attack on one member is an attack on all. For many years, Russia has been vehemently opposed to the NATO membership of Ukraine. Recently proposed by the United States as “historic,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stressed that any guarantee must actually protect Ukraine on land, air, and sea, with Europe participating.
European leaders, including Keir Starmer (UK Prime Minister), Emmanuel Macron (President of France), and Fredrik Merz (Chancellor of Germany), will arrive in Washington on Monday, joining Zelensky for further talks. Upon cessation of hostilities, this coalition promised to deploy a reassurance force and work towards rebuilding Ukraine’s armed forces. Nonetheless, fears continue to exist. Reports suggest that Putin proposes peace with the proposals claiming Ukraine must withdraw from Donetsk and Russia freezing its position in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Zelensky has rejected any deal that cedes territory because it could be refitting for Russia to use as a platform for future aggression. The meeting in Washington comes amid a resurgence in questioning about Trump’s keeping up public pressure for Kyiv to compromise, more so as he continues to call his relationship with Putin “fantastic.”
