Latest news with #Nato-style
India Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
'Forget Nato, Crimea': Is Trump throwing Zelenskyy under the bus for Russia deal?
Ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House, US President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out the possibility of Kyiv reclaiming Crimea from Moscow and urged his counterpart not to pursue Nato membership — a key sticking point with Trump's remarks came even after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told CNN that Moscow was willing to let the US and its European allies provide Nato-style security guarantees to Kyiv as part of a potential peace deal, describing the development as "game-changing."advertisement"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," Trump's main negotiator, Steve Witkoff, who held hectic parleys in Moscow ahead of the recently concluded Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin, told CNN Calling it a major breakthrough, Witkoff added that this was the first time Moscow had agreed to such a 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, also known as the Washington Treaty, is the basis of Nato's principle of collective defence. It states that an armed attack against any of the alliance's 32 members in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them allTrump further suggested that the decision to end the conflict lies with Zelenskyy, remarking that he 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.'Blaming former US President Barack Obama for allowing Russia's annexation of Crimea 'without a shot being fired' in 2014, Trump reiterated his stance on Truth Social, saying, "President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!"- Ends
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First Post
4 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Trump says ‘big progress' made with Russia as Witkoff outlines Nato-style security guarantees for Ukraine
Trump on Sunday said 'big progress' had been made with Russia on the Ukraine conflict, as envoy Witkoff outlined that Russian President Vladimir Putin signalled for the first time he could accept Nato-style security guarantees for Kyiv. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, US, August 15, 2025. File Image/Reuters US President Donald Trump on Sunday said 'big progress' had been made with Russia towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine, just hours after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED! President DJT,' Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. Putin's concession on Nato like security guarantees Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff described the outcome of the Alaska summit as 'game-changing.' Speaking to CNN's State of the Union, he said, '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 noted this was the first time Putin had agreed to such a proposal. 'Putin has said that a red flag is NATO admission,' he said. 'So what we were discussing was … that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He added, 'It was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.' Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, also known as the Washington Treaty, underpins NATO's core principle of collective defence. It states that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all. If carried forward, the understanding would mark a major shift in Moscow's position and provide Ukraine with an alternative to NATO membership, something Putin has consistently opposed. Witkoff emphasised, however, that any deal would ultimately depend on whether Kyiv accepted the proposal. Rubio warns of consequences US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned there would be 'additional consequences' if no ceasefire was achieved, echoing Trump's warning before his talks with Putin. He also underlined that no truce could be reached without Ukraine's direct participation in negotiations.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: ‘Security guarantees' on offer but Russia wants some too
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the decision to offer security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal as he prepared to meet Donald Trump in Washington on Monday. 'Security guarantees, as a result of our joint work, must really be very practical, delivering protection on land, in the air and at sea, and must be developed with Europe's participation,' said the Ukrainian president. Trump's Ukraine envoy, the real estate developer Steve Witkoff, said Vladimir Putin had agreed that the US and European allies could offer Ukraine a Nato-style, 'Article 5-like' security guarantee as part of an eventual deal to end the war. It appeared to be a major shift for Putin, but Witkoff has previously got it wrong when announcing what has been agreed in talks with the Russians – he does not speak Russian and has walked into meetings with Vladimir Putin without a translator of his own. Russia agrees that any future peace agreement on Ukraine must provide security guarantees to Kyiv but Moscow also needs credible security assurances, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's envoy to international organisations in Vienna, said early on Monday. 'Many leaders of EU states emphasise that a future peace agreement should provide reliable security assurances or guarantees for Ukraine,' Ulyanov said. 'Russia agrees with that. But it has equal right to expect that Moscow will also get efficient security guarantees.' Russia has not been invaded by another country since the end of the second world war – apart from the humiliating Ukrainian counter-invasion of Kursk – while having repeatedly invaded other countries and illegally annexed their territory. European heavyweight leaders will join Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House meeting with Trump on Monday, writes Luke Harding, in an extraordinary joint effort to push back on a US-backed plan that would allow Russia to take further Ukrainian territory. They are expected to argue against a land swap plan that rewards Russian aggression, and to seek further clarity on what security guarantees the US is willing to offer in the event of a settlement. The delegation includes the French president, Emmanuel Macron; Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz; Italy's PM, Giorgia Meloni; Keir Starmer, the British PM; Nato's secretary general, Mark Rutte; the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen; and the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb. In a CBS interview after the Trump-Putin talks in Alaska, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, gave short shrift to the Russian ruler's 'long historical complaint' that 'root causes' of the Ukraine war must be addressed as part of a peace deal. 'We're not going to focus on all of that stuff. We're going to focus on this: are they going to stop fighting or not? And what it's going to take to stop the fighting.' Rubio continued: 'If we're being honest and serious here, both sides are going to have to give, and both sides should expect to get something from this. And that's a very difficult thing to do … Ukraine obviously feels, you know, harmed, and rightfully so, because they were invaded. And the Russian side, because they feel like they got momentum in the battlefield, and frankly, don't care, don't seem to care very much about how many Russian soldiers die in this endeavour.' Dan Sabbagh writes that Rubio gave the inbound European delegation some hope, insisting to NBC that a ceasefire is 'not off the table' – despite Putin insisting it can only come after a complete peace deal – and confirming that the US is interested in contributing to western security guarantees to Ukraine. 'It's one of their fundamental demands is that if this war were to end, they have to make sure this never happens again.' The US secretary of state is a traditional Republican whose instincts towards Russia are hawkish, although he has a record of going with the flow when it comes to the president's impulses. Russian attacks on Ukraine continued over Sunday night. A missile strike on Kharkiv city injured 11 people, said Kharkiv's mayor. A guided bomb strike on a Sumy oblast community left a woman injured, said the head of the regional military administration, while civilian facilities were damaged in a series of attacks.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
We've got Eur back: Euro leaders race to stand side-by-side with Zelensky as he faces Trump in DC - after US revealed Putin AGREED to allow a 'Nato-style' security agreement protecting Ukraine
European leaders are rushing to Washington to stand side-by-side with President Zelensky as he faces Donald Trump in crunch talks at the White House on Monday. The meeting comes after Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US had forced Vladimir Putin to agree a 'Nato-style' security agreement protecting Ukraine. Mr Witkoff made the comments to CNN on Sunday amid reports the Russian leader had gained the upper hand at the summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. In the bombshell interview, he said offering Ukraine 'Article 5-like protections' was the real prize and described the proposed security guarantees as 'game-changing'. 'We didn't think that we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article Five protection from the United States in legislative enshrinement within the Russian Federation, not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is codified,' Witkoff said. He added: 'We got to an agreement that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee.' Sir Keir Starmer is among the EU and Nato leaders travelling to the US in the hope of preventing a repeat of Zelensky's humiliation in the Oval Office in February. There are fears Zelenksy may walk into a trap laid by Putin - with Trump appearing poised to urge him to agree to a Russian land grab of his country's territory. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US has forced Vladimir Putin to agree a 'Nato-style' security agreement protecting Ukraine Russian president Vladimir Putin meets Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday Zelensky, speaking in Brussels on Sunday, has said giving up land for peace in a future agreement with Russia could be 'impossible' Putin is said to have demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk - two occupied Ukrainian regions - as a condition for ending the three-year war. Zelensky, meanwhile, has said giving up land for peace in a future agreement with Russia could be 'impossible'. Speaking in Brussels on Sunday, the Ukrainian president insisted that his country's constitution made it 'impossible to give up territory or trade land'. But he went on to say: 'Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at a trilateral meeting. 'We need real negotiations, which means we can start where the front line is now,' Zelensky said, adding that European leaders supported this. The Ukrainian leader reiterated his position that it was necessary to establish a ceasefire in order to then negotiate a final deal. 'It's important that Washington is with us,' the Ukrainian leader said. Zelensky added that Ukraine did not yet know all the demands made by Putin at the meeting with Trump on Friday. Volodymyr Zelensky faced a heated encounter when he met Donald Trump in February Ursula von der Leyen, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron will travel to Washington tomorrow for peace talks at the White House. European leaders are seen following a so-called 'coalition of the willing' meeting in May Meanwhile, the world is still reeling from Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska, where he rolled out the red carpet for the war-mongering tyrant. Most international commentators believe the negotiations were a win for Putin, with the media noticing he appeared energetic and satisfied by how the summit had gone. Trump, on the other hand, appeared uncharacteristically deflated and seemed disheartened that the famed deal-maker was not able to get an agreement together. But the US President has hit back at his critics. He posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday morning: 'It's incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me. 'There is NOTHING I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me. 'I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden's stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!' Only minutes later, he posted: 'If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal. Your browser does not support iframes. US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they meet for talks about Ukraine at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday Vladimir Putin reportedly told the US president during the Alaska summit Friday that Ukrainian frontlines in Donetsk were on the verge of collapse 'That's why they are the FAKE NEWS! Also, they should talk about the 6 WARS, etc., I JUST STOPPED!!! MAGA.' In his interview with CNN, Witkoff also discussed the issue of territory - and specifically of the five regions he described as always having been the 'crux of the deal'. Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 while the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson were annexed after referendums internationally viewed as shams in 2022. 'The Russians made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of those regions,' Witkoff said today. He added that the Donetsk region constitutes an 'important discussion' - and one which he said will happen tomorrow. The Donbas is predominantly Russian-speaking, and after Russia snatched Crimea in 2014, its proxy forces have gained a foothold there in a long-running war. Zelensky, who has rejected Putin's demands that Kyiv withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of Donetsk that it still controls, played down the Russian advances, saying on X that his forces were 'countering' and 'increasing the pressure' on the 'occupier'. 'The Russian army continues to suffer significant losses in its attempts to secure more favourable political positions for the Russian leadership at the meeting in Alaska. 'We understand this plan and are informing our partners about the real situation,' he said. Your browser does not support iframes. A Russian tank fires during a practice session at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Friday President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed to Melsbroek Air Base near Brussels on Sunday Sir Keir Starmer is set to be joined by Ursula von der Leyen, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron at the talks in Washington on Monday. Other European leaders who have confirmed they will go include Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte. Zelensky's Oval Office rendezvous follows a 'coalition of the willing' video call held by Western allies at 2pm on Sunday, hosted by Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Merz. Downing Street has insisted Sir Keir and other allies stand ready to support the next phase of talks to end the war. A statement from No 10 said: 'At the meeting that will take place at the White House tomorrow, the Prime Minister, with other European partners, stands ready to support this next phase of further talks and will reaffirm that his backing for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.'
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Russia will not give Ukraine security guarantee: Zelensky
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the idea of US security guarantees – but was less positive about Russia's intentions. BRUSSELS - Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug 17 rejected the idea of Russia offering his country security guarantees, after US and EU officials promoted the possibility. White House envoy Steve Witkoff earlier said US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to 'robust security guarantees' for Ukraine during a meeting in Alaska on Aug 15. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Aug 17 hailed the proposal as an offer of Nato-style security guarantees from the United States. 'We welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to (Nato) Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine, and the coalition of the willing, including the European Union, is ready to do its share,' Dr von der Leyen said. Mr Zelensky also welcomed the idea of US security guarantees – but was less positive about Russia's intentions. 'What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin's thoughts, because Putin will not give any security guarantees,' he told a press conference in Brussels alongside Dr von der Leyen. 'Security means a strong army, which only Ukraine can provide. I believe that only Europe can finance this army.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDR 2025: New govt-funded traineeship scheme for ITE, poly, university graduates Singapore NDR 2025: CDCs to spearhead new effort to match job seekers to roles nearer to home, says PM Wong Singapore NDR 2025: US baseline tariff of 10% on Singapore offers 'little comfort', says PM Wong Singapore NDR 2025: More avenues for S'poreans to be heard, get involved will be opened up, says PM Wong World European leaders to join Zelensky for Ukraine talks with Trump Sport Third time's the charm as Aaron Liang dethrones Samuel Kang en route to national squash title Asia Mandarin with Taiwanese characteristics: Taipei leverages language as soft power tool Asia 'Rats from the sky': Urban India finds itself divided on pigeons Dr Von der Leyen and Mr Zelensky also shared their thoughts on a possible meeting between Mr Trump, Mr Putin and the Ukrainian leader. 'So far, Russia gives no sign that the trilateral will happen and if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow,' Mr Zelensky said. Dr Von der Leyen had said she wanted to see the three-way meeting happen 'as soon as possible'. Mr Zelensky will meet Mr Trump in Washington on Aug 18, accompanied by Dr von der Leyen and other European leaders. AFP
