VOLODYMYR Zelensky will be flanked by European leaders at the White House today as he again meets US President Donald Trump to talk peace in Ukraine.
The landmark moment comes as America finally confirmed it will step in if Vladimir Putin strikes again in future.
Mr Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff said those protections would come “not from Nato, but directly from the United States, and other European countries”.
Six months after his disastrous Oval Office shouting match with the US President, Ukraine’s hero leader Mr Zelensky will travel to Washington DC today alongside more than half a dozen allies.
PM Sir Keir Starmer will join the leaders of France, Germany and Italy alongside the heads of Nato and the EU in a firm show of solidarity against the Russians.
Following Mr Trump’s historic Alaska summit with Putin last week, swathes of eastern Ukraine are on the negotiating table.
Ukraine is also set to be forced to abandon its dream of formally joining Nato, but is desperately seeking future guarantees for its remaining territory.
But Mr Zelensky yesterday said territory haggling could only be discussed “by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia” at his expected showdown with Putin.
Last night, European leaders including Sir Keir held a video conference ahead of the White House meeting where they warned the Kremlin’s barbarous invasion must not see “borders redrawn by force”.
After her own meeting on Sunday with Mr Zelensky, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone, and these decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table.”
But last night US officials insisted it was Mr Trump who invited all of the key players as the time had come to finally work out how to police any peace deal with Russia.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the key issue was, “How do we stop this from happening again?” as he opened the door for a major role for the US in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” that has vowed to protect Ukraine’s future sovereignty.
He said: “They’re not coming here tomorrow to keep Zelensky from being bullied. They’re coming here tomorrow because we’ve been working with the Europeans. We invited them to come.”
He added Mr Trump may finally be ready to make the “big move” to have the US play an active role in underwriting Ukraine’s security despite months of refusing to make that pledge.
Mr Witkoff told CNN that following Mr Trump’s talks with Putin: “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.”
Nato’s Article 5 states an attack on one member is considered an attack on all — and allies must come to its defence.
Mr Witkoff said the move would be “game changing” as it was the “first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that”.
He added: “We didn’t think we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article 5 protection from the US in legislative enshrinement within the Russian Federation, not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is codified.”
Mr Rubio insisted no final decision had been made on US involvement.
Last night, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Big progress on Russia. Stay tuned!”
Earlier yesterday, Sir Keir told coalition members that the military planning for such a scenario was now at an “advanced stage” and was bolstered by America’s pledge.
However, Mr Rubio warned that breakthrough would come at a cost to Ukraine, which must give up at least parts of the Donbas territory.
Russia has been meddling in the border region since 2014, but does not control the mineral-rich region despite a full-scale invasion in 2022.
A heroic 3½-year stand by the Western-backed Ukrainian Armed Forces has seen the Donetsk and Luhansk regions split by bloody stalemate, with Russia attempting to grind its way through inch by inch.
In the Alaska talks, it is understood Putin insisted a peace deal would mean Ukraine surrendering these two key regions in full despite remaining in control of some parts.
But Mr Zelensky rejected those terms yesterday, telling reporters in Brussels: “We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now — the contact line is the best line for talking.”
It was not clear what Russia had offered in concessions beyond some other slivers of land currently occupied in the south-east of Ukraine.
The Kremlin also rejected an immediate ceasefire to allow for talks to take place, with Mr Trump siding with that demand during his three-hour, face-to-face showdown with his Russian counterpart.
The US President said it was more important to seek a lasting peace accord than a mere pause that could be quickly broken.
But last night the Trump administration insisted there would need to be concessions on both sides, as the Europeans vowed to keep their boot on Putin’s throat through punishing economic sanctions.
Mr Rubio said: “We may not like it, it may not be pleasant, it may be distasteful, but in order for there to be an end of the war, there are things Russia wants that it cannot get, and there are things Ukraine wants it’s not going to get.”
On how long talks could take, he added: “I’m not saying we’re on the verge of a peace deal, but I am saying we saw enough movement to justify a follow-up with Zelensky and the Europeans.”
He warned of further sanctions for Russia if the peace talks collapse over future security guarantees for Ukraine.
Putin insists that Ukraine cannot join Nato, but allies are working on a plan to give Kyiv legally binding guarantees Russian aggression would be matched by force.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14978353/trump-putin-meeting-alaska-news-latest/
