On Saturday morning, President Donald J. Trump held a series of high-level phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders to discuss potential security guarantees for Ukraine. The discussions, according to NBC News, centered around a framework similar to NATO protections but without offering Ukraine full membership or deploying U.S. troops on its territory. G.Business reports this, citing NBC News.
According to individuals familiar with the discussions, Trump proposed a structure that would assign the United States and Europe shared responsibility for Ukraine’s security under a potential deal with Russia. However, the idea of American boots on the ground was explicitly ruled out, and no direct NATO obligations were discussed.
Earlier this week, President Zelensky told reporters that the United States had yet to provide formal security assurances. He noted that, to date, only European countries had extended such guarantees. “In the upcoming trilateral meeting between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, it is vital to have Europe involved in one form or another,” Zelensky said. “So far, no one but Europe has given us any form of real security guarantees.”
He added that even financial support for Ukraine’s armed forces constitutes a form of security assurance, hinting that Washington’s current backing is insufficient without formalized commitments.
According to NBC’s reporting, the proposed guarantees would not be linked to NATO membership. Instead, they would be activated only if Russia were to invade Ukraine again following the signing of a hypothetical peace agreement.
Meanwhile, European leaders issued a joint statement on Saturday morning, reiterating their support for Ukraine’s eventual accession to the European Union and welcoming Trump’s intent to provide alternative security guarantees. “There must be no restrictions on Ukraine’s right to maintain armed forces or cooperate with third-party nations,” the statement read. “Russia cannot have veto power over Ukraine’s path toward the EU or NATO.”
The latest developments followed a high-stakes summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin in Alaska late Friday night. According to reports, Putin demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas region. In return, he reportedly offered to halt hostilities in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson and, according to some U.S. officials, expressed willingness to discuss withdrawing Russian forces from Sumy and Kharkiv.
Following the summit, Trump held a brief press conference, conducted an interview with Fox News, and posted a series of comments on social media, calling for a “historic resolution” to the war. He then spoke directly with President Zelensky and several European leaders.
Diplomatic sources also confirmed that Russian President Putin is scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday to continue negotiations. These will include discussions on a potential ceasefire and the broader framework for ending the war. The talks are expected to involve U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak.
Stay connected for news that works — timely, factual, and free from opinion — and insights that matter now: Lindt considers moving chocolate bunny production from Germany to the US