Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle that the United States and its European allies may offer Ukraine NATO-style security guarantees, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said after last week’s summit between Putin and President Donald Trump at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Speaking on CNN on 17 August, Witkoff described the understanding as allowing Washington and partner nations to extend “Article 5-like protection” to Kyiv—treating an attack on Ukraine as an attack on all guarantors—something he called “game-changing.” He added that Moscow signalled readiness to legislate a pledge not to seize further Ukrainian or European territory. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the contours, enforcement mechanisms and territorial issues—including the status of Donetsk—still need to be negotiated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Finland and the European Union are expected to discuss the proposal with Trump at the White House on Monday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the U.S. move, while Russian officials insisted any peace accord must address security concerns for both Kyiv and Moscow. Rubio cautioned that, despite progress, the parties remain “a long way” from a comprehensive deal to end the three-and-a-half-year war.