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Military chiefs from the United States and a number of European countries on Thursday presented options to their national security advisers for providing security guarantees to Ukraine, officials said. This followed U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to help protect the country under any deal to end Russia's 3-1/2-year-old war in Ukraine. A Pentagon statement said U.S. and European planners had developed the military options for "appropriate consideration" by allied national security advisers. Reuters was first to report that the military leaders were preparing the options. The chiefs of defense for the United States, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and...

The ugly truth behind any deal that would cede a chunk of Ukraine’s Donbas region to Moscow is that it could immediately strengthen the Russian military, providing a major win for one of America’s leading adversaries in an era of great power competition. In such a scenario, Ukraine would lose some of its most heavily fortified defensive positions. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s generals would seek to deepen their substantial footprint in the strategically vital theater with new military bases. The Russian navy could gain even greater control over the Black Sea. The Russian government and its armed forces could take...

With less than 24 hours to go before he meets Donald Trump again, Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed the president's "historic decision" to offer Ukraine security guarantees if a peace deal is reached with Russia. It's unclear exactly what shape this support might take, but Trump envoy Steve Witkoff today suggested the US and its partners could offer "Article 5 like language" - reflecting Article 5 of the Nato agreement that states an armed attack on one member country would be considered an attack on all members.

Donald Trump's special envoy said Russia had agreed to allow the US and Europe to give Ukraine "robust" security guarantees as part of a potential peace deal. Steve Witkoff told CNN it was agreed at the Alaska summit that the US and Europe could "effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee", referring to Nato's principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all. Putin has long opposed Ukraine joining Nato, and Witkoff said the arrangement could be an alternative if the Ukrainians "can live with it". Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky described the US's security...

Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to having the US and Europe provide Ukraine with NATO-style security guarantees as part of deal to end the war, President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday. “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,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The compromise, which emerged from Trump’s Alaska summit with the Russian strongman, “was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.” The arrangement Witkoff...

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to “robust” security guarantees, including “effectively” offering Ukraine Article Five-like protection, during their historic Friday meeting. “We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing,” Witkoff said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Witkoff explained that Russia agreed to allow the United States and other European countries to “effectively offer [Ukraine] Article Five-like language to cover a security guarantee,” referring to the provision of NATO that states an attack on one NATO member is seen as an...