US president suggests European-led security guarantees for Kyiv, with Washington playing a coordinating role
United States President Donald Trump has unveiled plans to host a face-to-face summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in what he calls an “early step” toward ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
The announcement came during high-level talks at the White House on Monday, where Trump met with Zelenskyy alongside European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The discussions centered on potential security guarantees for Ukraine and the framework for a negotiated settlement.
Trump confirmed he had already spoken by phone with Putin and “begun arrangements” for a bilateral Putin–Zelenskyy meeting, which would precede a trilateral summit with the US president. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO’s Rutte later confirmed Putin’s agreement to the meeting, though no date or location has yet been set.
Zelenskyy described his White House talks as a “very good conversation” and said he was “ready” to meet Putin one-on-one. Moscow has not officially confirmed participation, though Russian state media reported that Putin expressed support for continued direct talks.
Security Guarantees Take Center Stage
The most contentious issue in Washington was security guarantees for Ukraine. While Trump has ruled out NATO membership, he suggested that European nations would form the “first line of defence,” with the US providing substantial support in coordination.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has indicated that Putin might accept a guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5, though without formal membership. Rutte hailed Washington’s willingness to be involved as a “breakthrough,” while cautioning that specifics remain undecided.
Ukrainian officials said the guarantees could be formalized within 10 days, though experts warn that written promises alone have failed Ukraine in the past. “Russia has violated every treaty it signed,” said Konstantin Sonin, a Russian exile and political analyst. “Without credible enforcement—such as European troops on the ground—any deal risks collapse.”
The Territorial Question
Trump has suggested that compromises involving “swapping, changes in land” may be unavoidable. He has already warned that Crimea would not return to Ukraine under any settlement. With Russia currently controlling about one-fifth of Ukraine, and Ukraine’s surprise gains in Russia’s Kursk region not holding, the boundaries of a deal remain murky.
Zelenskyy, however, has consistently rejected territorial concessions. On Monday, he reaffirmed: “We will leave the issue of territories between me and Putin.”
Analysts say that while the White House talks created momentum, deep challenges remain. Yurii Poita, of Kyiv’s Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, called the outcome “a cautious success” but noted that without stronger sanctions and credible security commitments, Moscow may simply stall for time.
“The architecture of guarantees will determine whether peace is lasting or whether Russia re-arms for another strike,” Poita said.