The US has proposed security guarantees for Ukraine that are distinct from NATO’s collective defense agreement, according to Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and a diplomatic source. The proposal emerged during a call between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders on Saturday, following Trump’s summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin the day prior, reports 24brussels.
The diplomatic source revealed that the proposal included a non-NATO Article 5 type guarantee, purportedly agreed upon with Putin. NATO’s collective security, grounded in Article 5, states that an attack on one member prompts a collective defense response from all members.
Meloni, participating in the aforementioned call, confirmed that Trump introduced the idea inspired by Article 5, which she has advocated for months. She stated that the proposal aims to establish a collective security clause to ensure Ukraine receives support from all its partners, including the US, in the event of future attacks.
In previous discussions, Meloni indicated to Italian senators that such a response would not necessarily mean engaging in warfare, emphasizing that while NATO’s Article 5 includes the possibility of force, it is not the sole option available.
‘No-one knows how this could work’
While Kyiv has long sought NATO membership, Russia has cited Ukraine’s aspirations as one of its justifications for its ongoing conflict in the region, leading to hesitance within some Western circles regarding Ukraine’s accession.
Trump has consistently dismissed the notion of Ukraine joining NATO. Prior to the multilateral discussion, he had a private conversation with Zelensky regarding the outcomes of Friday’s Alaska summit.
The diplomatic source noted that the American side articulated this joint security proposal during both private and group discussions with Zelensky and European leaders. Another source corroborated that NATO-like guarantees were indeed a topic of conversation but expressed skepticism: “No-one knows how this could work and why Putin would agree to it if he is categorically against NATO and obviously against effective guarantees of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Meloni’s statement did not clarify whether the concept had been broached with Putin. Zelensky is scheduled to visit Washington on Monday to engage in talks with Trump.
The second source revealed that Zelensky aims to discuss the potential framework of a summit involving Trump, Putin, and himself, alongside the role of Kyiv’s European allies in ongoing peace negotiations, territorial concerns, and security assurances.
‘Coalition of the willing’ to meet on Sunday
A video call among the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany will occur on Sunday with Ukraine’s allies, termed a “coalition of the willing,” to deliberate on advancing peace in Ukraine, as announced by the French presidency.
This meeting, jointly organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is scheduled the day before Zelensky’s visit to Washington following the US-Russia summit.
(bms, sm)
