U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a swearing-in ceremonial for Jeanine Pirro arsenic interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump astatine the White House successful Washington, D.C., U.S., May 28, 2025.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to let the United States and European nations to springiness Ukraine "Article 5-like protection" arsenic a information warrant to bring an extremity to the war.
"We were capable to triumph the pursuing concession: That the United States could connection Article Five-like protection, which is 1 of the existent reasons wherefore Ukraine wants to beryllium successful NATO," Witkoff said Sunday connected CNN.
It was "the archetypal clip we had ever heard the Russians hold to that," helium continued.
NATO's Article 5 says that "if a NATO Ally is the unfortunate of an equipped attack, each and each different subordinate of the Alliance volition see this enactment of unit arsenic an equipped onslaught against each members and volition instrumentality the actions it deems indispensable to assistance the Ally attacked."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday that she welcomed the information guarantees for Ukraine, and that the "European Union ... is acceptable to bash its share," according to the Associated Press.
Witkoff's remarks travel conscionable days aft President Donald Trump met successful Alaska with Putin amid his country's ongoing warfare with Ukraine. Trump and his medication hailed the talks arsenic "productive," but details of the gathering person truthful acold been scant.
Trump, successful the lead-up to his gathering with Putin, repeatedly stressed the request for an urgent, long-lasting ceasefire successful the war.
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The talks did not output specified an agreement, sparking interest among officials successful Ukraine and European nations that Trump was moving distant from the goal.
In the days since the talks, Trump, however, has said that the "best way" to extremity the warfare is "to spell straight to a Peace Agreement."
Witkoff said Sunday that Trump and Putin "covered astir each the different issues indispensable for a bid deal" during their hours-long meeting, without providing further details.
"We began to spot immoderate moderation successful the mode they're reasoning astir getting to a last bid deal," helium said.
Trump is acceptable to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders connected Monday.
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