Russia has signaled a potential shift in its stance on Ukraine’s security, with President Vladimir Putin agreeing to allow the United States and its European allies to extend NATO-style protections to Kyiv, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff, speaking Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, said the agreement emerged during President Donald Trump’s summit with Putin at a U.S. military base in Alaska last Friday. “We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,” Witkoff said. “It was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that. It’s game-changing.”
Article 5 is the cornerstone of NATO’s defense pact, requiring all 32 members to respond collectively if one is attacked. While the framework of the U.S.-European guarantees remains unclear, the concession could represent a workaround to Putin’s longstanding opposition to Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Witkoff also claimed that Russia agreed to pass legislation affirming it would not violate the sovereignty of other European nations. “And there was plenty more,” he said, without elaborating.
The proposal drew cautious praise from European leaders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in Brussels alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, welcomed Trump’s efforts. “We applaud President Trump’s willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine, and the ‘Coalition of the Willing’—including the European Union—is ready to do its share,” she said.
Zelenskyy, while thanking Washington for the initiative, stressed that Kyiv needs clarity. “It is important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine,” he said. “But there are no details how it will work, and what America’s role will be, Europe’s role will be, and what the EU can do. Our main task is to ensure that these guarantees work in practice like NATO’s Article 5.”
The talks marked a pivot from Trump’s earlier demand for an immediate ceasefire. Witkoff defended the shift, saying the president adjusted his approach after significant progress was made toward a broader peace framework. “We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal,” Witkoff said. “We began to see some moderation in the way [the Russians] are thinking.”
Still, U.S. officials emphasized that a comprehensive agreement remains distant. Secretary of State and national security adviser Marco Rubio, who joined the talks, told ABC’s This Week that a truce was not possible because Ukraine was not represented at the summit. “Ultimately, if there isn’t a peace agreement, if there isn’t an end of this war, the president’s been clear—there are going to be consequences. But we’re trying to avoid that,” Rubio said.
Rubio also cautioned against fresh sanctions on Russia, warning that they could undermine diplomatic leverage. “The minute you issue new sanctions, your ability to get them to the table will be severely diminished,” he said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Both Witkoff and Rubio agreed that while progress had been made in identifying areas of potential consensus, major disagreements remain unresolved. Central among them is the question of territory. “The fundamental issue, which is some sort of land swap, is obviously ultimately in the control of the Ukrainians,” Witkoff said. “That could not have been discussed at this meeting with Putin. We intend to discuss it on Monday.”
Zelenskyy and European leaders are scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday for follow-up discussions. Witkoff expressed cautious optimism: “Maybe not enough for a peace deal, but we are on the path for the first time.”
