Kathmandu, Aug 18. A major diplomatic initiative has been made in the three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine. At a meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, it was revealed for the first time that Russia has accepted that the US and European countries could provide Ukraine with security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5.
Trump’s representative, Steve Witkoff, who attended the meeting, disclosed this on Sunday.
Under NATO’s Article 5, an attack on one-member state is considered an attack on all, and all members are obligated to defend the country under attack. Ukraine has long been demanding such a security guarantee.
Witkoff said Russia had for the first time agreed to such a security guarantee. He described it as a “game changer,” meaning a step that changes the situation.
“The United States has achieved a major breakthrough, under which Ukraine will get NATO-like Article 5 security guarantees, so that there will be no future attacks on Ukraine,” he said.
According to Witkoff, who spoke on CNN’s State of the Nation, Russia has given a written assurance that it will not violate the borders of any European country in the future and will not seize more Ukrainian territory.
This is Russia’s first such assurance. Now the US and European countries will decide this week how to set up the security guarantee for Ukraine, including how it will be implemented and who will take responsibility.
US Secretary of State and Trump’s National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, who also attended the Alaska meeting, said, “We are still not close to a peace deal, but this is major progress.”
In interviews with several TV networks on Sunday, he said it was difficult to reach a ceasefire because Ukraine was not present at the meeting. But he added that they are now prepared for further talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders are meeting Trump at the White House today. The meeting will focus on security guarantees and a possible peace agreement.
Zelensky said, “We are glad the US is considering this issue. But it is still unclear how this guarantee will work. We need security that is not just on paper but effective in reality.”
The meeting will also discuss ending the Russia–Ukraine war, with territorial issues expected to be central.
“Big progress has been made with Russia,” Trump wrote on social media Sunday. “Stay tuned, more information is coming!”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the US initiative, saying the EU is also ready to help with Ukraine’s security.
French President Emmanuel Macron said what matters is not the name of the guarantee but its real strength and effectiveness.
President Zelensky expressed gratitude to the US for signaling support for a security guarantee, but he said many issues remain unclear.
“There are no details on how this guarantee will be implemented, what role the US will play, what role Europe will play, and what the EU can do. Our main concern is that the guarantee must work in practice like NATO’s Article 5,” he said.
Trump’s representative Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the decision to move from pursuing a ceasefire to aiming for a full peace agreement. Rubio argued in media interviews that significant progress at the Alaska summit made this shift possible.
“We addressed almost all the issues needed for a peace deal,” Witkoff said without elaborating, adding that Russia had begun showing some flexibility about reaching a final settlement.
Rubio told TV networks Sunday, “A ceasefire was not possible Friday because Ukraine was not there. If there is no peace deal or end to the war, President Trump has made clear there will be consequences. But we are working to prevent that.”
Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, cautioned against over-optimism, saying, “We are not yet close to a peace agreement, but there has been progress in that direction.”
After the summit, in conversations with European partners, Trump said Putin again raised his demand for control over the Donbas regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. It remains unclear whether Trump will accept this.
“Donetsk will be a key topic of discussion and it will be discussed in detail on Monday,” Witkoff said.
Zelensky has rejected Putin’s demand, saying Russia must leave areas of Donbas it has not fully captured. In Brussels he said, “Any talks about territory must be based on the current frontline. Europeans also support this. Ukraine’s constitution does not allow giving up or trading land.”
People’s News Monitoring Service
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