Trump Says ‘Big Progress’ Made With Putin As Zelensky, European Leaders Head To Washington

<p>Days after his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that &ldquo;big progress&rdquo; had been achieved in talks with Russia, though he offered no details.</p>
<p>&ldquo;BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!&rdquo; Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.</p>
<p>The two heads of state met for more than three hours at an air base in Alaska on Friday. It marked the first time the Russian president set foot on Western soil since ordering the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While no formal agreement was announced, both leaders spoke warmly of their encounter.</p>
<p>Earlier, Trump&rsquo;s special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN that the two sides had agreed to what he described as &ldquo;robust security guarantees&rdquo; for Ukraine. &ldquo;I would describe them as game-changing,&rdquo; he said, without elaborating.</p>
<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Witkoff told CNN. He added that it &ldquo;was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that&rdquo; and called them &ldquo;game-changing.&rdquo;</p>
<p>According to Reuters, the talks reportedly touched on a proposal under which Russia might relinquish small occupied territories, while Ukraine could be pressed to cede fortified land in the east and freeze the front lines elsewhere.</p>
<h2>Zelensky, European Leaders to Meet Trump</h2>
<p>Amid growing speculation about the outcome of the Alaska talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Trump in Washington on Monday, joined by several European leaders.</p>
<p>French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are expected to attend. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she would also participate at Zelensky&rsquo;s request.</p>
<p>The Washington meeting is aimed at shoring up support for Kyiv, as Trump intensifies pressure on Ukraine to consider a quick peace deal following his direct engagement with Putin.</p>