Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly given the green light for the United States and European allies to extend Article 5-style security guarantees to Ukraine, a proposal U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff described as “game-changing.” The development emerged amid a flurry of diplomatic activity following the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska.
President Trump, speaking afterward, hailed the outcomes of the meeting as showing “big progress on Russia,” though he stressed, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
According to Witkoff—speaking on CNN’s State of the Union—the new arrangement would allow the U.S. to extend NATO-like protection to Ukraine, even without formal NATO membership, fulfilling one of Kyiv’s major security aspirations. He also claimed that Russia made unspecified territorial concessions regarding the contested regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea, potentially accepting swaps to freeze the frontlines elsewhere.
In a broader context of ongoing diplomacy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to travel to Washington for face-to-face talks with Trump. He’ll be accompanied by European leaders—including UK PM Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—to demonstrate unified backing for Ukraine’s sovereignty and ensure its voice is central in any negotiations.
Despite the diplomatic momentum, the summit in Alaska did not yield a ceasefire agreement. Both Trump and Putin described the session as “productive,” but refrained from specifying firm outcomes. Viewers and analysts alike noted that Ukraine was not represented during the summit, raising concerns about potential sidelining.
European leaders—including Macron—affirmed that any agreement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and involve its elected representatives. “We cannot have territorial discussions without the elected representatives of Ukraine,” Macron emphasized, calling for a commitment to international law and peace through dialogue.
As global attention shifts to the upcoming Washington talks, leaders face a delicate balancing act: navigating proposals of territorial compromise while crafting credible security guarantees—and ensuring such discussions include Ukraine at the table.
