Putin Agrees To NATO-Style Deal For Ukraine’s Security – Trump’s Envoy
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to allow collective defence guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal, Donald Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday.
Speaking in an interview with CNN, Witkoff described the breakthrough as a NATO-style arrangement, where an attack against Ukraine would trigger a collective response from its security partners.
He stressed that while Russia continues to reject Ukraine’s formal entry into NATO, the provision could deliver Ukraine the kind of protection it has long sought.
“We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing. It’s the first time we’ve heard Russia agree to something resembling an Article 5-type protection,” he said.
The envoy also revealed that Putin made concessions on his demand for Ukrainian land swaps, suggesting Russia might accept more limited changes to the current front lines rather than redrawing boundaries for all five regions Russia had previously sought.
According to Witkoff, the concessions and new guarantees were the reason President Trump shifted his position in recent days, moving away from demanding an immediate ceasefire and instead pressing for a comprehensive peace accord.
He said, “For the first time, we are seeing accommodation from the Russians. That’s encouraging. Now we need to get a deal the Ukrainians can live with.”
His comments come a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to meet Trump at the White House, alongside European leaders.
Zelenskyy, however, expressed caution, telling reporters in Brussels, Belgium, that Ukraine still needed clarity on the guarantees, including whether they would involve troops on the ground or protection of Ukraine’s skies.
“What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin’s opinion. Putin will not give us any guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.
Putin Agrees To NATO-Style Deal For Ukraine’s Security – Trump’s Envoy is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
