 "Trump says ‘big progress’ made with Russia as Witkoff outlines Nato-style security guarantees for Ukraine")
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said “big progress” had been made with Russia towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine, just hours after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED! President DJT,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Putin’s concession on Nato like security guarantees
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff described the outcome of the Alaska summit as “game-changing.” Speaking to CNN’s State of the Union, he said, “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 noted this was the first time Putin had agreed to such a proposal. “Putin has said that a red flag is NATO admission,” he said. “So what we were discussing was … that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee.”
He added, “It was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.”
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, also known as the Washington Treaty, underpins NATO’s core principle of collective defence. It states that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all.
If carried forward, the understanding would mark a major shift in Moscow’s position and provide Ukraine with an alternative to NATO membership, something Putin has consistently opposed. Witkoff emphasised, however, that any deal would ultimately depend on whether Kyiv accepted the proposal.
Rubio warns of consequences
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned there would be “additional consequences” if no ceasefire was achieved, echoing Trump’s warning before his talks with Putin. He also underlined that no truce could be reached without Ukraine’s direct participation in negotiations.
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