US envoy Witkoff 'hopeful' for 'productive' meeting on Ukraine conflict on Monday
Washington (AFP)US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine during their high-stakes summit in Alaska, a top White House envoy said Sunday, adding that he was hopeful for a "productive meeting" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders the next day.Speaking on CNN, Steve Witkoff added that Russia had agreed to unspecified concessions on five Ukrainian regions central to the fighting."We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing," Witkoff said.He added: "The Russians made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of those regions. And that discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday."Trump on Monday will be hosting Zelensky and a number of European leaders to discuss ways to end the three-and-a-half-year war.The preparations come after Trump dropped his push for a ceasefire following the Alaska summit with Putin, something that had been one of Washington's core demands before the summit, to which Ukraine and its European allies were not invited.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC Sunday that a ceasefire "is not off the table," but "what we ultimately are aiming for is an end to this war."In a brief post on his Truth Social platform, Trump hailed "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA," without elaborating.
The leaders heading to Washington on Monday include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, among others.
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Russia signals further commitments Witkoff also said Russia had agreed to pass legislation preventing it from violating the sovereignty of European neighbours, another step US officials portrayed as significant, though they provided no details on enforcement. 'The Russians agreed on enshrining legislatively language that would prevent them from – or that they would attest to not attempting to take any more land from Ukraine after a peace deal, where they would attest to not violating any European borders,' Witkoff said on Fox News. Rubio and Witkoff defended Trump's decision not to demand a ceasefire in Alaska, arguing that the broader framework offered a more sustainable path. 'We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal,' Witkoff said. 'Maybe not enough for a peace deal, but we are on the path for the first time.' Land and territorial disputes Territorial questions remain the largest unresolved issue. Putin has demanded recognition of Russian control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, according to European officials briefed on the talks. Witkoff said Moscow wanted future negotiations to focus on legal boundaries rather than battlefield front lines. Zelenskyy has ruled out ceding the Donbas region, insisting that talks must be based on current contact lines and constitutional prohibitions against surrendering territory. 'The constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land,' Zelenskyy told reporters in Brussels. 'The contact line is the best line for talking, and the Europeans support this.' Next steps Trump is scheduled to host Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday, where the proposed security guarantees and territorial disputes are expected to dominate. Rubio struck a cautious note, warning that despite signs of moderation from Moscow, 'we're still a long way off … we're not at the precipice of a peace agreement.'
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