U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated he is open to the U.S. agreeing a security guarantee with Ukraine resembling the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Article 5 protection.
“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 told CNN‘s Jake Tapper, adding that it was “the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.”
Newsweek reached out by submission form to the U.S. State Department on Sunday afternoon.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump and Putin met on Friday in Alaska to discuss the war in ongoing war in Ukraine and what it would take for Russia to end its assault.
Critics hit out at Trump for providing Putin with red-carpet treatment in exchange for seemingly little in the way of concessions, including a military fly-over, a gift to the Russian leader, and a joint ride in Trump’s armored limousine. Putin is a wanted man with a warrant out for his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC), although neither the U.S. nor Russia are signatories to the Rome Statutes.
The meeting ended without any agreement on a ceasefire or peace deal, but Trump officials have talked up possible concessions made by the Russians, although details did not start to surface until Sunday.
What To Know
Following the Alaska summit, the only information to surface indicated that land swaps had been discussed, much to the frustration of Ukrainian supporters and allies. Trump told European leaders that he backed a plan in which Ukraine would cede territory it still controlled to Russia, The New York Times reported, citing two senior European officials.
However, Witkoff on Sunday said the Russians had agreed to a “game-changing” concession, which would allow the U.S. to establish security guarantees modeled after NATO’s Article 5 protections, which states that an attack against any member of NATO is an attack against all members of NATO—also known as the collective defense clause.
“I don’t know that we have the time now to go through all the different issues on these five regions,” Witkoff said when asked if Ukraine would have to give up all of the Donbas region to Russia.
He added: “The Russians made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of those regions. There is an important discussion to be had with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there. And that discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday when [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky arrives with his delegation.”
One of Putin’s fears is that Ukraine would become a member of NATO, expanding the U.S. and European footprint even more along the border of Russia.
Witkoff said on Sunday that Russia had agreed to enact a law that it would not “go after any other European countries and violate their sovereignty. And there was plenty more.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen applauded the move, saying that Europe was “ready to do its share” to contribute to the collective defense guarantee.
Several European leaders will participate in a meeting between Trump and Zelensky this week, which will precede a possible trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin. The trilateral meeting is still a far-off possibility, but Trump has set a soft deadline for the end of the month to arrange it.
TAPPER: “Is that what’s on the table, that Ukraine has to agree to cede all of Donbas?”WITKOFF: “I don’t know that we have the time now to go through all the different issues on these five regions… The Russians made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of… pic.twitter.com/KISlTQXBrv
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) August 17, 2025
What People Are Saying
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff during his appearance on CNN’s State of the Union: “My view is that we are going to [do] a trilateral, and what we’re trying to accomplish on Monday is get some consensus from President Zelensky and his team. We had some really good, specific, granular conversation on the plane ride home with President Zelensky about what he would be seeking, and we don’t think there are any obstacles in that conversation that we heard, and so I’m hopeful that we have a productive meeting on Monday, we get to real consensus, we’re able to come back to the Russians and push this peace deal forward, and get it done and stop the killing.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week wrote on X: “On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes. Recently, weʼve discussed with the U.S. and Europeans what can truly work. Everyone needs a just end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to bring the war to an end, and we count on a strong position from America. Everything will depend on this – the Russians factor in American strength. Make no mistake – strength.”
What Happens Next?
Zelensky and some European leaders will meet with Trump on Monday to discuss his requirements for a peace deal in the aftermath of Trump’s meeting with Putin.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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