Ukraine’s President Zelensky has hailed U.S. security guarantees as a “historic decision” ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump. (Image Credits: BBC)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday welcomed the United States’ proposal to extend security guarantees, calling it a “historic decision” just a day before his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The announcement comes on the heels of comments from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who hinted that Washington was prepared to go as far as offering NATO-style protection to Kyiv, an unprecedented move in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“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, underlining that the matter is no longer symbolic but about enforceable safeguards.
Zelensky described Sunday’s virtual “coalition of the willing” meeting as “very useful.” The video conference brought together Ukraine’s closest allies—Britain, France, and Germany, who reaffirmed that state borders must never be altered by force.
According to Zelensky, the consensus was clear: the war’s most pressing issues should be resolved in a trilateral framework involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. This signals a possible diplomatic recalibration, placing Washington at the center of talks that could reshape Europe’s security landscape.
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In remarks to CNN, Witkoff stated that the U.S. was ready to extend Article 5-like protection to Ukraine. Article 5 of the NATO charter stipulates that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. While Ukraine’s NATO membership has long been opposed by Moscow, this alternative could bridge the gap.
“It was the first time that Russia had agreed to something like this,” Witkoff noted, suggesting that Moscow may be softening its resistance under growing international pressure.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently accompanied Trump to Alaska for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, struck a cautious but optimistic tone. “The talks had made some progress,” he told CNN, while emphasizing that much work remained.
What lies ahead is perhaps even more significant. Rubio hinted at the possibility of a trilateral summit.
“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.
If such a summit materializes, it could mark a turning point: a U.S.-Russia-Ukraine framework that creates enforceable guarantees without formally placing Kyiv inside NATO—a delicate balance between deterrence and diplomacy.
For Ukraine, these guarantees could mean the difference between perpetual vulnerability and genuine sovereignty. For Washington, it’s a chance to reshape European security architecture under Trump’s direct leadership. For Russia, it may be a rare compromise, accepting protection for Ukraine without NATO’s formal expansion.
The coming days, particularly the Trump-Zelensky meeting, will determine whether this “historic decision” remains aspirational or becomes the cornerstone of a new European order.
