Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday praised the United States’ offer of security guarantees, calling it a “historic decision” just a day before his scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump.
This development follows remarks from US envoy Steve Witkoff, who hinted that Washington is ready to commit to strong security measures for Kyiv.
Zelensky: Guarantees Must Protect Land, Air, and Sea
“Security guarantees as a result of our joint work must be truly very practical and provide protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must also be developed with Europe’s participation,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader described the “coalition of the willing” meeting on Sunday as “very useful”. The virtual meeting included key allies such as Britain, France, and Germany, with all parties agreeing that state borders must not be changed by force.
Talks Signal Possible Article 5-Style Protection
Ahead of Monday’s meeting between Trump and Zelensky, a senior US official suggested that the United States could offer NATO-like protection to Ukraine.
“We were able to win the following concession, that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection,” Witkoff told CNN’s State of the Union. He emphasized that Russia has agreed to consider such a framework, marking a major diplomatic breakthrough.
What Does Article 5 Mean?
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that an attack on one member nation is considered an attack on all. Witkoff indicated that similar protection could be extended to Ukraine in exchange for shelving NATO membership plans, a move opposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Progress Toward a Trilateral Summit
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that discussions during Trump’s recent Alaska summit with Putin had “made some progress.”
“Ultimately, where this should lead is to a meeting between the three leaders, between Zelensky, Putin and President Trump, where we can finalize, but we got to get this thing closer before we get to that point,” Rubio said.
