A special envoy of US President Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on “strong security guarantees” for Ukraine during his Alaska Summit.
“We agreed on security guarantees that I would call a breakthrough,” Witkoff told American news television CNN, quoted by AFP in its report.
According to AP Witkoff, in CNN broadcasting, the US and European allies will provide Ukraine with security guarantees similar to the NATO collective defense mandate as part of a possible agreement to terminate the war, which Russia has been against Ukraine for more than three years.
USA offered article 5
“We have managed to get the following concession: that the United States can (Ukraine) offer protection similar to Article 5, which is one of the main reasons why Ukraine wants to join NATO,” Witkoff said in the CNN television show. He added that it was the first time that Putin heard such a proposal.
In an interview with CNN, Witkoff first provided some details of the content of the negotiations in Alaska. He added that in terms of security guarantees for Ukraine, Russia said that it would legally commit not to seek any other territories in Ukraine.
He also defended Trump’s decision not to push Russia to agree with the immediate ceasefire. He explained that Trump has leaned towards a peace agreement because “such great progress” was made.
They believe in a productive meeting
“We discussed almost all other questions necessary for the peace agreement,” Witkoff said without specifying it in more detail. “We have begun to see a certain reconciliation in the way they are considering achieving a final peace agreement,” he explained.
At the same time, Witkoff said he “hopes” in a “productive meeting” with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Greeny and European leaders, which will be held on Monday in the White House. Trump’s envoy expects to achieve a “real consensus” from this meeting, then “we will be able to return to the Russians, move this peace plan forward and tighten it to the end.”
In addition to Zelensky, the President of the European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, her British colleague Keir Starmer and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, will also be present at the White House.
Trump’s proposal is welcomed
Von der der Leyen, who welcomed Zelensky in Brussels on Sunday, said that she welcomed Trump’s proposal to offer Ukraine security guarantees analogous to the Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. She added that the so -called. The coalition is willing to contribute to this with its works.
Article 5 is a key constitutional principle of NATO. It stipulates that an armed attack against one or more members is considered an attack against all – the Allies are so committed to help the contested state, including the use of the armed forces, if necessary.
“Ukraine must maintain its territorial integrity,” said von der Leyen during the adoption of the Greenland in Brussels. “We welcome President Trump’s willingness to provide Ukraine with security guarantees similar to Article 5,” she said at a press conference in Brussels.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Saturday that the first step should be to define the “collective security clause that would allow Ukraine to gain the support of all its partners – including the United States – ready to intervene if they were again challenged”.
