Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed for the first time to consider a US- and Europe-backed security guarantee for Ukraine that would mirror NATO’s collective defense clause, US officials said Sunday. The move, described by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff as “game-changing,” came during a summit on Friday with President Donald Trump at a military base in Alaska.
Witkoff told US television networks that Russia signaled willingness to accept “Article 5-like protection” for Ukraine — a reference to NATO’s core principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all. “This is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,” Witkoff said, adding that Moscow also pledged not to threaten the sovereignty of other European nations.
The development could sidestep Russia’s longstanding opposition to Ukraine’s NATO membership, though key questions remain. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also attended the summit, cautioned that the details of any guarantees have yet to be negotiated. “How that’s constructed, what we call it, how it’s enforced — that’s what we’ll be talking about over the next few days with our partners,” he said.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the breakthrough but stressed the need for concrete commitments. “Security guarantees must deliver protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must be developed with Europe’s participation,” he said after meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels. Von der Leyen said the EU “is ready to do its share.”
Zelenskyy is set to join von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on Monday for high-stakes talks with Trump.
Yet obstacles remain. According to officials briefed on the Alaska talks, Putin demanded recognition of Russian control over Donetsk and Luhansk as part of any peace deal, while Trump is expected to press Zelenskyy to consider the proposal. The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly ruled out ceding territory, insisting the constitution forbids it.
Despite the uncertainty, Trump hailed “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA” in a social media post, hinting that a path toward ending the three-and-a-half-year war may be emerging.