Follow-up
Washington is preparing to host an important meeting this Monday at the White House, bringing together U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, with several European leaders also in attendance. According to U.S. special envoy for Russia, Steve Whitekov, the meeting could pave the way for a potential trilateral summit that would include Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at negotiating a direct peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
Whitekov confirmed in a statement to CNN that “the meeting represents the first step toward direct negotiations among the three presidents, potentially opening the door to a long-awaited peace deal.” He added that the discussion of a realistic pathway to resolution for the first time represents a “promising development” that should be built upon.
Among the sensitive topics on the agenda is the issue of “land swaps,” which was not addressed during the recent Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. Whitekov also revealed that Washington is considering providing Ukraine with security guarantees similar to those outlined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which pertains to collective defense.
U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio clarified to Fox News that the European role will be crucial in shaping these security guarantees to prevent any future Russian aggression.
Last Friday, at the conclusion of the Alaska summit, Trump briefed Zelensky and several European officials, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on the content of his discussions with Putin and the prospects for achieving a ceasefire. He subsequently emphasized on his platform, Truth Social, that “the best way to end this horrific war is through a comprehensive peace agreement, not a temporary ceasefire that quickly collapses.”
