Ukraine could have NATO-style security guarantees as part of a broader peace framework, said US President Donald Trump's envoy Stebe Witkoff, adding that
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed for such an arrangement during the Alaska summit. This comes as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet Trump for crucial talks in Washington.
NATO-Style Security Guarantees To Ukraine?
Witkoff said that Putin agreed at the summit with President Trump that the United States and its European allies could offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defence mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the war.
It "was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that," said the US official and called it "game-changing."
"We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO," Witkoff told CNN. Notably, Article 5, the heart of the 32-member transatlantic military alliance, says an armed attack against a member nation is considered an attack against them all.
All Eyes on Trump-Zelenskyy Meet
The NATO-style security guarantees could be a key topic of discussion as Zelenskyy meets Trump at the White House on Monday. Zelenskyy has already thanked the US for signalling that it was willing to support such guarantees but said much remained unclear.
Following his meeting with Putin in Alaska, which ended in "no deal", Trump spoke to Zelenskyy, said the Ukrainian leader, adding that he would be meeting the US President on Monday at the White House.
European and NATO leaders will join Zelenskyy in Washington to present a united front in talks with Trump on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict and firming up US security guarantees now on the negotiating table.
