Will Russia-Ukraine war see a breakthrough? Donald Trump-Zelenskyy meet in focus; key developments in 10 points

Time of India

2 days ago

The stage is set in Washington for a pivotal meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, major European leaders, and US President Donald Trump. After Trump's dramatic summit with Vladimir
Putin
in Alaska, attention has shifted to whether a peace deal, rather than just a ceasefire, can be reached to end Russia's three-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine.
At the heart of the talks is a potential breakthrough: Russia has for the first time signalled openness to security guarantees for Ukraine resembling NATO's Article 5. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff described it as 'game-changing,' although the details remain murky. European leaders, wary of Ukraine being pressured into concessions, are rallying behind Zelenskyy in an attempt to present a united front.
The negotiations come amid continued bloodshed on the battlefield.
Drone and missile strikes have intensified on both sides, underscoring that despite diplomacy, the war is still raging. The question now is whether Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy, and Europe can translate diplomatic overtures into a concrete plan that holds.
10 key points about the meeting:
Putin signals shift on Ukraine security guarantees
At the Alaska summit, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Russia had, for the first time, indicated openness to the United States and Europe offering Ukraine Article 5-style protections.
Such a guarantee, modelled on NATO's collective defence principle, has long been Kyiv's top demand. Witkoff told CNN this was 'the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that' and called it 'game-changing.' While details were left vague, the development offers a potential workaround to Putin's consistent rejection of Ukraine joining NATO directly.
Trump claims 'big progress' but presses Zelenskyy
Trump celebrated the Alaska summit on social media, declaring 'Big progress on Russia.
S
tay tuned!' Yet by evening, he shifted the burden onto Zelenskyy, writing that Ukraine's president 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to.' Trump pointed to Crimea's annexation under Obama and said 'no going into NATO by Ukraine. Some things never change!!!' His remarks suggested that while security guarantees may be on the table, Trump expects Kyiv to accept limits on its NATO ambitions.
The debate over Article 5-like guarantees
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended the summit, stressed that the contours of any guarantee were far from settled. 'How that's constructed, what we call it, how it's built, what guarantees are built into it that are enforceable — that's what we'll be talking about,' Rubio said on NBC. He called it a 'huge concession' if implemented, but noted Trump had not yet fully committed. The guarantees could deter future Russian aggression, but both the US and Europe must decide how far they are prepared to go.
Trump abandons ceasefire push for full peace deal
Initially, Trump pressed Putin for a ceasefire, threatening new sanctions if Moscow refused. But by the end of the summit, he dropped that demand in favour of a broader peace agreement. Witkoff defended the pivot, saying Trump had 'covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal' and began to sense Russian 'moderation.' Rubio echoed that Ukraine's absence from the Alaska talks made a ceasefire impossible, but progress was made toward a long-term accord.
Critics, however, saw Trump's reversal as a sign of weakness.
The thorny issue of land concessions
One of the most difficult questions is whether Ukraine will cede territory. European officials said Putin reiterated his desire for the Donetsk and Luhansk regions — areas that make up the Donbas. Witkoff noted Russia wanted 'legal boundaries instead of front lines.' Zelenskyy rejected this outright, saying Ukraine's constitution makes it 'impossible to give up territory.'
He argued negotiations must reflect current battle lines, not Moscow's demands.
With Putin pressing for land and Zelenskyy refusing, territorial concessions remain a critical stumbling block.
Europe rallies behind Zelenskyy at the White House
Having been excluded from the Alaska summit, Zelenskyy will not face Trump alone in Washington. Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Finland will join him, alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. French General Dominique Trinquand said Europeans 'are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated' — referring to a past confrontation between Trump and Zelenskyy — and want to 'support Mr Zelenskyy to the hilt.
' Their presence is designed to strengthen Ukraine's hand and avoid Trump pushing Kyiv into unilateral concessions.
Critics see a diplomatic win for Putin
Despite Trump hailing the Alaska meeting as 'productive,' analysts said Putin emerged stronger. Fiona Hill, Trump's former Russia adviser, warned that the US president had reversed himself without extracting a ceasefire, leaving him weakened. Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt called it 'a distinct win for Putin' and 'a distinct setback for Trump.'
Putin's appearance alongside Trump in Alaska — complete with military flyovers and red-carpet treatment — also allowed Moscow to project global legitimacy after years of isolation.
What comes next in Washington
On Monday, Zelenskyy and European leaders meet Trump at the White House to discuss next steps. The Europeans plan to push proposals to bolster Ukraine's military and deploy allied forces in 'zones of peace' inside Ukraine. Macron warned: 'Otherwise, I think the Ukrainians simply cannot accept commitments that are theoretical.'
Zelenskyy insists security guarantees must be real and enforceable, telling reporters: 'It's impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons.
' The Washington talks will determine whether the Alaska breakthrough can translate into an actual framework for peace.
What happened during Trump-Putin meet?
Trump and Putin's meeting was closely watched as it came at a time when Ukraine and European leaders were seeking clarity on the direction of the war.
Putin put forward his conditions, which included recognition of Crimea, autonomy for eastern Ukraine, and limits on Kyiv's ties with the West. For Trump, the meeting was presented as a chance to show he could re-establish dialogue, but for allies in Europe and Kyiv, the concern was over what concessions might be on the table.
The discussion set the stage for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU leaders to head into their own talks with Trump, making Washington the focal point of diplomacy once again.
When the conflict began, again
The renewed conflict began on February 21, 2022, when President Putin recognised the self-declared independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk 'people's republics,' regions of eastern Ukraine under separatist control since 2014. Treaties of 'friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance' were signed, and Russian forces entered under the guise of peacekeepers. Three days later, on February 24, Putin announced a 'special military operation' to protect the Donbas and 'demilitarise and de-nazify Ukraine.
' Russian troops advanced from Belarus, Russia, and Crimea. Despite Kremlin claims that occupation was not intended, fighting soon spread across the country. By late 2022, Moscow had announced the annexation of four regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—though it never fully controlled them.