We agreed that the United States and other European nations could propose to Ukraine a provision akin to NATO’s Article 5 – said on Sunday special envoy for Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, during a conversation with CNN.
Security Guarantee Decision for Ukraine
Washington and Moscow appear to have agreed on a key issue regarding Ukraine. On Sunday, August 17, U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, announced on CNN that Vladimir Putin had accepted U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal. “We managed to secure a concession that the United States could offer Ukraine protection in the style of Article 5,” he said.
Witkoff: Russia has agreed to such clauses for the first time in history
He stressed that this is the first time Russians have agreed to embed such a provision in a peace agreement. This could be a response to Putin’s reluctance to admit Ukraine into NATO. The clause refers to the NATO Treaty, which states that an armed attack on one or more members in Europe or North America would be considered an attack on all, obligating other members to aid the attacked parties.
“Significant Progress”
Witkoff said this “significant progress” in the Alaska talks prompted Trump to abandon talks of a ceasefire and move straight to peace negotiations. “We are trying to agree on a peace deal that will end the fighting very, very quickly—faster than a ceasefire,” he said. He added that Russia has yielded, as its original territorial ambitions were greater, with this deal covering five Russian regions. President Trump posted on Truth Social about the substantial advancement in the Ukraine war and promised further details soon. The Kremlin has yet to respond to the Trump administration’s interpretation of the Friday talks.
