In a significant development, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff claims that Putin has agreed to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, akin to NATO's Article 5, without Ukraine joining NATO. This comes as part of efforts to reach a peace agreement swiftly. Witkoff suggests that Russia is ready to make territorial concessions, and momentum is building towards a peace deal. Ukrainian President Zelenskyj seeks clarity on the guarantees, as he prepares to meet Trump in Washington with European leaders.
Witkoff Claims Putin Agrees to Security Guarantees for Ukraine
Witkoff Claims Putin Agrees to Security Guarantees for Ukraine
Putin has agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine, according to Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff in an interview with CNN. "MAJOR PROGRESS WITH RUSSIA," writes Donald Trump himself, without specifying details.
"We are determined to try to achieve a peace agreement that permanently ends the conflict very, very quickly. Faster than a ceasefire," Witkoff tells CNN.
According to him, Russia has agreed to a deal where Ukraine, upon a peace agreement, would receive security guarantees from the West.
This involves protection similar to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which states that an attack on one member country is considered an attack on the entire alliance.
Ukraine wants to join NATO, something Putin strongly opposes. The agreement Witkoff describes would provide Ukraine with security guarantees without becoming a member of the defense union.
"Putin has said that NATO membership is a red flag. So we discussed what we can agree on that Ukraine can live with. It's all about what they can agree to, but assuming they can, we concluded that the US can offer Article 5-like security guarantees," Witkoff tells the channel.
Momentum for a Peace Agreement
At the same time, Witkoff says Russia is prepared to make concessions on several territories. According to him, there is now "momentum" to reach a peace agreement soon.
"We made so much progress at the meeting regarding all the other ingredients necessary for a peace agreement that we, that President Trump, leaned in that direction," says Witkoff.
Donald Trump writes on Truth Social that "MAJOR PROGRESS" has been made with Russia and urges followers to "stay tuned."
This follows a post where he lashes out against criticism he received after the meeting, widely seen as a defeat for the American president and a propaganda triumph for Putin.
"If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the deal, FAKE NEWS and their partners, the radical left Democrats, would still say I made a terrible deal," writes Trump.
Zelenskyj:
Zelenskyj comments on the reports, stating he wants to know what the security guarantees would concretely entail.
Among other things, he wants to know if there will be protection troops on Ukrainian soil.
"What President Trump says about security guarantees is more important to me than Putin's opinion. Putin will not give us any security guarantees," says Zelenskyj.
On Monday, he and Trump will meet in Washington DC to further discuss this—with support from several European leaders, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.