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US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated in an interview with CNN that the summit held on Friday in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin brought "major progress" towards a peace agreement for Ukraine, including an unprecedented concession from the Kremlin: security guarantees for Ukraine similar to NATO's Article 5.
“ We reached an agreement on strong security guarantees, which I would describe as a game changer. It was the first time we had heard the Russians agree to such a formula ,” Witkoff said on Jake Tapper’s State of the Union program. According to him, this formula would be an “alternative arrangement” to avoid Ukraine joining NATO, while still providing it with collective defense from the United States and some European countries.
Putin ready for "legal legitimation" and territorial restrictions
According to Witkoff, Putin also accepted a commitment to "legal sanctions that Russia will not interfere in other territories, neither in Ukraine nor in Europe," as part of the potential deal.
He said that during the meeting, the Kremlin showed a new flexibility on controversial demands for “territorial swaps” with Ukraine. “ The Russians made some concessions on the five regions they had in mind. It’s not enough, but it’s a step forward ,” Witkoff said, suggesting that the discussion is now moving toward recognizing the current front line as the practical border.
Putin, according to European sources cited by CNN, continues to seek control over Donbas, while he is willing to "freeze" the front lines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, in exchange for promises of non-aggression in the future.
From ceasefire to peace agreement
One important element that emerged from the meeting was the change in approach of Trump, who until a few days ago was calling for an immediate ceasefire. Witkoff explained that “the progress made in Alaska was so great that President Trump decided to focus directly on a comprehensive peace agreement, rather than a temporary ceasefire.”
" For the first time we saw more accommodation from the Russians, much more than in previous administrations. That's encouraging, but now we need to build on that momentum and reach an agreement that Ukrainians can accept ," Witkoff added.
The summit with Zelensky, a decisive step
Trump's envoy said the issue of territories and guarantees will be discussed tomorrow in Washington, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Donald Trump at the White House. "We hope to reach some concrete decisions there and then," Witkoff said.
However, so far neither the Kremlin nor Putin himself have given their version of these talks, leaving room for interpretations about Russia's real willingness for a compromise.
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