WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will meet today in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, and key European leaders will join him.
Trump has already indicated the message he intends to deliver: Zelensky must agree to some of Russia’s conditions, including ceding Crimea and promising that Ukraine will never join NATO, in order for the war to end.
At last week’s summit with Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to approve security guarantees for Ukraine and made concessions regarding potential “territorial swaps” as part of a possible peace agreement, according to U.S. envoy Steve Vitkoff.
Zelensky hinted that such guarantees must be stronger than those that “did not work” in the past. Russia has not publicly mentioned such agreements.
Vitkoff said Trump is now focusing on reaching a peace agreement rather than pushing for a ceasefire, citing Trump’s progress in talks with Putin. Following this approach, Trump withdrew from his earlier threat of new sanctions on Moscow, despite calls for increased economic pressure.
The meeting at the White House will be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merk, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
A chronological review of information is provided below.
11:28 What is NATO Article 5?
Article 5 of NATO is part of the agreement on “collective defense,” which stipulates that an attack on one is considered an attack on all allies, and member states take joint measures.
Trump was previously skeptical of Kyiv’s frequent demands for security guarantees—a way to ensure that Russia would not violate the ceasefire or resume an offensive in Ukraine in the coming years.
European powers also proposed “forces of reassurance” for Ukraine, which they said could not function without U.S. “support,” but Trump so far has been reluctant to commit U.S. troops or resources.
11:21 Vitkoff to CNN: Putin agreed to provide security guarantees to Ukraine modeled on NATO
Putin approved “strong” security guarantees as part of a potential peace agreement, including a provision for collective defense of Ukraine by the U.S. and Europe in case Russia attempts a new invasion, Vitkoff told CNN.
Vitkoff said the clause Russia agreed to was a workaround due to Russia’s claim that Ukraine must never join NATO. He added that the Russians also promised “legal confirmation” of a pledge not to attack Ukraine or any other European state in any future peace plan.
Russia has not yet mentioned such agreements publicly.
But these echo the proposal for security guarantees for Ukraine similar to NATO Article 5, which President Donald Trump outlined in discussions with European leaders over the weekend.
One European official told CNN that part of the talks with Trump included “guarantees modeled on Article 5” for Ukraine, with the support of Europe and the U.S., if a peace agreement is reached. The official added that NATO itself would not be involved in these guarantees.
09:51 Rubio: Possible concessions
“If peace is not possible here and this continues as a war, people will continue to die in the thousands... maybe we will, unfortunately, end up there, but we do not want to end up there,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview for CBS “Face the Nation.”
Rubio said both Russia and Ukraine would have to make concessions to reach a peace agreement and that security guarantees for Ukraine would be discussed on Monday. He also emphasized that there must be additional consequences for Russia if the agreement is not reached.
“I’m not saying we are on the verge of a peace agreement, but I am saying we have seen enough progress to justify continuing meetings with Zelensky and Europeans, enough progress to devote more time to this,” Rubio said for CBS.
08:28 CNN: Zelensky can expect a “tough” meeting at the White House
Zelensky can expect a “tough” meeting with Trump at the White House because the parameters of the peace agreement are not entirely favorable to Kyiv, said director of Central European Studies at the University of Southern California Robert English in an interview with Paul Sandoval of CNN.
“Trump has made it clear to him... that he will have to accept that the territory lost is mostly lost in the longer term,” English said.
He added that “all illusions about the return of Crimea and much of Donbas are over.”
“Behind the scenes, there is a clear understanding that Zelensky will have to swallow this bitter pill. Now we must focus on security guarantees for Ukraine in the future and make them strong,” he emphasized.
He also commented on today’s arrival of other European leaders to the White House.
“The mere fact that they are all together and trying to reach a common understanding is crucial,” he said, emphasizing that the multilateral talks will likely focus on creating long-term security arrangements for Ukraine without formal NATO membership.
“As long as they provide troops and promises to come to Ukraine’s aid, and the U.S. provides supply, intelligence, logistics—all together, especially if there is some kind of agreement, a contract that could last for years and be renewed indefinitely, that is pretty close to NATO-like protection and gives Ukraine what it has not had so far,” he concluded.
06:57 White House signals progress towards possible peace deal for Ukraine
The White House has indicated progress toward a possible peace deal to end the Russian war in Ukraine, with U.S. envoy Steve Vitkoff telling CNN that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to allow U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine and made concessions regarding “territorial swaps.”
Despite these developments, many open questions and obstacles remain.
Upon arrival in Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence that he can secure security guarantees for his country. He stressed that new guarantees must be stronger than those that “did not work” in the past, alluding to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Zelensky scheduled a meeting with President Donald Trump for bilateral talks in the Oval Office before joining European leaders for broader consultations.
U.S. envoy Vitkoff confirmed that Putin agreed to let Ukraine’s allies offer NATO-style security guarantees as part of a possible peace deal. A session at the White House is planned to create a plan protecting Ukraine from future attacks, modeled on NATO Article 5, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
Kyiv’s allies are also preparing to deploy a “force of reassurance” in Ukraine when hostilities cease, according to a joint statement by British and French leaders. The leaders, who co-chaired a virtual meeting on Sunday with Zelensky and other allies, praised Trump’s commitment to providing security guarantees and pledged that their countries will play a “key” role.
06:52 Known meeting schedule
12:00 Eastern Time (18:00 Central European Time): European leaders arrive at the White House;
13:00 Eastern Time (19:00 CET): Trump welcomes Zelensky;
13:15 Eastern Time (19:15 CET): Bilateral meeting of Trump and Zelensky;
14:15 Eastern Time (20:15 CET): Trump welcomes European leaders;
15:00 Eastern Time (21:00 CET): Multilateral meeting with European leaders.
06:44 Trump: “There has never been so many European leaders in the White House at once”
Zelensky planned a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump for bilateral talks in the Oval Office before joining European leaders for broader discussions on Ukraine’s security.
Before the meetings, Trump wrote on Truth Social last night that the White House “has never had so many European leaders at once.” He described it as a “Great day” and said it was “a great honor to host them!!!”
One session at the White House will focus on creating a plan to protect Ukraine from future attacks, modeled after NATO Article 5, which treats an attack on one country as an attack on all. Vitkoff, one of three Americans who participated in Friday’s summit with Putin in Alaska, described this as a workaround for Russia’s demand that Ukraine never join NATO.
Kyiv’s allies also indicated they are ready to deploy “forces of reassurance” in Ukraine when fighting stops. British and French leaders, after jointly chairing a virtual meeting with Zelensky and other allies yesterday, said the “Coalition of the willing” praised Trump’s commitment to providing security guarantees and promised that their countries will play a “key” role.
06:21 Seven European leaders attending the meeting
Seven key European leaders will attend tomorrow’s talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merk, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will be present.
The Élysée Palace announced that Macron “will continue working on coordination between Europeans and the United States with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine’s vital interests and Europe’s security.”
Merk’s office stated that he will discuss the status of peace efforts in Ukraine with other participants and highlight Germany’s interest in quickly reaching a peace agreement.
Starmer praised Zelensky for his “desire for a just and lasting peace” and confirmed that he will also travel to Washington for the meeting.
04:41 Zelensky has arrived in Washington
The Ukrainian leader arrived early in the morning. On this occasion, he spoke on platform X.
“I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I will meet with President Trump. Tomorrow we will also talk with European leaders. I am grateful to Trump for the invitation. We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And the peace must be lasting. Not like before, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our east — part of Donbas — and Putin simply used that as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was given so-called ‘security assurances’ in 1994, but those did not work. Of course, Crimea should not have been given then, just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022. Ukrainians are fighting for their country, for their independence. Now our soldiers are succeeding in Donetsk and Sumy regions. I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively secure safety, and our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable help. Russia must end this war that it started. And I hope that our joint strength with America and our European friends will force Russia to a just peace. Thank you!”
