Putin signals openness to NATO-style guarantees for Ukraine. EU and NATO leaders join Zelenskyy at White House for high-stakes talks with Trump.
Washington, Aug 18 (IST) — After more than three years of war, hopes for an endgame are rising. A U.S. envoy says Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle that the U.S. and Europe could extend “NATO-style” security guarantees to Ukraine under a future peace deal.
The claim follows the Trump–Putin Alaska summit, which produced no ceasefire but hinted at a breakthrough. Today, leaders from the European Union, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are gathered at the White House to meet President Donald Trump and test whether Putin’s signals can be turned into a binding framework.
Key developments:
- No treaty yet: Moscow has not signed or published any agreement; discussions remain exploratory.
- Kyiv’s stance: Zelenskyy insists on binding guarantees that do not involve territorial concessions.
- European push: EU leaders want enforceable terms, including rapid-reaction forces and automatic sanctions.
- NATO’s position: The alliance continues to regard Russia as its top threat; no deal exists restricting NATO operations.
The proposed guarantees would act as collective defense commitments—similar to NATO’s Article 5—without full membership, which Moscow opposes. Analysts say this model could deter future Russian aggression while giving Ukraine a security umbrella backed by Washington and Europe.
As the war reaches its 1,271st day, the Washington summit is seen as a pivotal moment. Whether this marks the beginning of the end of Europe’s bloodiest conflict in decades—or just another pause in diplomacy—depends on what emerges from today’s talks.
