Trump Floats NATO-Style Guarantees for Ukraine as Zelensky Faces a High-Stakes Washington Test
European leaders rush to join Monday’s summit amid panic and unease, wary of a U.S.-brokered “peace” that could leave Ukraine exposed and Putin emboldened.
As fallout continues from Donald Trump’s Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin — a meeting critics have called a Kremlin-scripted circus (and as an exercise of lifting Putin from the coffin of international isolation onto the world stage by someone meant to be the leader of the free world, as I told CNN) — the former U.S. president’s envoy has revealed that Russia has agreed to let Washington and Europe extend “robust” security guarantees to Ukraine. Steve Witkoff told CNN the arrangement could amount to “Article 5-like” language, short of NATO membership but intended to deter further Russian aggression. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautiously hailed the offer as “historic,” while warning it must deliver real protection on land, air, and sea with Europe fully at the table.
On Monday, Zelensky will sit down with Trump in Washington alongside more than half a dozen European leaders and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. European capitals scrambled to get a seat at the table, with one senior diplomat admitting to “panic” that Ukraine’s fate could be shaped in a rushed negotiation. The speed and scale of the gathering — not seen since the run-up to the Iraq War — underscore fears that Trump could push for a deal that freezes the conflict, leaves Kyiv vulnerable, and hands Mr. Putin yet another victory.
As I’ve warned in recent interviews - including Sunday afternoon on CNN prime time - Zelensky must tread with extreme caution: the worst outcome would be granting Trump a handshake photo-op with a war criminal’s embrace still fresh on his hands.
More than half a dozen key European leaders will attend talks between Zelensky and Trump in Washington, DC, tomorrow. CNN reported that the meeting will be held in different sections, with Trump and Zelensky and their respective teams meeting alone at the start.
Here’s who will be in attendance:
French President Emmanuel Macron: The Élysée Palace said Macron will “continue the work of coordination between Europeans and the United States with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine’s vital interests and the security of Europe.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: Merz’s office said he will discuss the status of the peace efforts in Ukraine with the other attendees and highlight Germany’s interest in a rapid peace agreement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: Starmer praised Zelensky’s “desire for a just and lasting peace” and said he would also travel to Washington for the meeting.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
Finland President Alexander Stubb
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
At a news conference on Sunday in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, stressed the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine and respect for its territory. But she also said it was paramount to “stop the killing” and urged talks among the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and the United States “as soon as possible.” One senior European diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of angering Mr. Trump, described a sense of panic among European allies. The diplomat had not seen a meeting like the one set for Monday come together so quickly since just before the Iraq War. The foremost concern, the diplomat said, was to avoid another scene like the one that took place in February when Mr. Zelensky met with Mr. Trump in front of the television cameras at the White House - NYT
Hamas announced it agreed to release Israeli-American Idan Alexander and the bodies of four dual nationals as it demands Israel enter the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Shortly after, Hamas said it sent a negotiating team to Cairo to continue talks, as US envoy Witkoff proposed a “bridge” to extend the ceasefire. Israeli forces launch more attacks on Gaza, killing at least two children in Gaza City and Beit Lahiya, as Israel’s total blockade on all aid into the Strip enters its 13th day. UN experts say Israel has carried out “genocidal acts” against Palestinians by systematically destroying women’s healthcare facilities during its war on Gaza and using sexual violence as a war strategy - Al Jazeera
Israeli protesters on Sunday demanded the government secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, in one of the country’s largest demonstrations since the start of the war in Gaza. Protesters also announced a nationwide strike, reflecting growing domestic discontent over Israel’s plans to expand the war: The military is preparing to occupy Gaza City and move Palestinians out of combat zones.
“Israel is as divided now as at any time in its history,” the BBC’s international editor wrote. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “presiding over fault lines in Israel that have opened into chasms.” Hamas has reportedly signaled it is open to some concessions in ceasefire talks, but Israel said it is no longer interested in a partial truce - Semafor
Wildfires gripping Spain and Portugal forced evacuations and the deployment of thousands of emergency personnel as a heatwave continues to ravage the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited regions affected by forest fires in Ourense and León to meet with the heads of emergency and coordination teams. He was accompanied by Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. In a press conference, Sánchez said "the next hours and days are critical" and that the government would provide the help needed to extinguish the fires, including 500 more military personnel. Sánchez said the ongoing operations by emergency personnel was "probably" the largest European civil protection mobilisation in history. He also said the Spanish government would propose a state pact to adapt the country to climate change. In neighbouring Portugal, more than 3,200 firefighters battled nine major fires on Sunday. Most were concentrated in the towns of Arganil and Sátão. Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple wildfires since July, particularly in the North and Central regions. High temperatures have led to the declaration of a state of alert, which remains in effect - Euronews
Air Canada says it now plans to resume flights on Monday evening after a planned resumption of service on Sunday afternoon was scrapped when the union representing flight attendants refused to comply with the federal government’s return-to-work order. The airline was initially slated to resume service at 2 p.m. on Sunday but it was forced to put the plans on hold after the Air Canada component of CUPE announced that its members would not comply with a Canada Industrial Relations Board directive ordering them back to work. In a statement, Air Canada said there were approximately 240 flights scheduled to operate on Sunday, all of which have now been cancelled. The airline said that it plans to resume flights “as of tomorrow evening,” though it did not provide details on how it may do so should flight attendants remain off the job. It also did not say whether it would be a full resumption of service or if some flights would remain cancelled. “Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and are strongly advised not to go the airport unless they have confirmed flights on other airlines,” the statement notes. “Air Canada will offer those with cancelled flights options, including obtaining a full refund or receiving a credit for future travel. The carrier will also offer to rebook customers on other carriers, although capacity is currently limited due to the peak summer travel season.” The strike first began early Saturday morning, resulting in the cancellation of 700 daily flights and stranding thousands of passengers. By Saturday afternoon, federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu had effectively ended the legal strike by directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the parties to resume operations and extend the union’s prior collective agreement until binding arbitration determines the final outcome of the labour dispute - CTV
A library book has been returned nearly 82 years after it was borrowed from the San Antonio Public Library. It came with a letter noting that “Grandma won’t be able to pay for it anymore.” The book is “Your Child, His Family, and Friends” by marriage and family counselor Frances Bruce Strain. It was checked out in July 1943 and returned this past June from a person in Oregon, the library said in a news release. “After the recent death of my father, I inherited a few boxes of books he left behind,” the person wrote in a letter that was shared by the library on Instagram and signed with the initials P.A.A.G. The book was a guide for parents on helping their children navigate personal relationships. It was checked out when the person’s father was 11 years old. The book had received write-ups in various newspapers at the time. The Cincinnati Enquirer described it in June 1943 as a “complete guidebook to the personal relationships of the child with his family and the outside world.” The New York Times noted a month later that Strain was a psychologist and mother of two who was “best known for her wise, sensitive, but unsentimental presentation of sex education.” The library said in a news release that it eliminated overdue fines in 2021. The inside cover of the book was stamped with the warning that the fine for overdue books was three cents a day. Not accounting for inflation, the penalty would amount to nearly $900. Three cents in July 1943 amounts to 56 cents in today’s money, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Inflation Calculator. That would add up to more than $16,000 - AP
The journals….
"Steve Witkoff told CNN the arrangement could amount to “Article 5-like” language," - watching Witkoff mumble/stumble, watching him so clearly out of his depth as he spoke with Jake Tapper this morning was close-your-eyes-horrifying.