President Donald Trump promised a new security deal for Ukraine that “might involve all of Europe” after meeting a top envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the White House on Thursday.
Trump gave no details. “It’s going to be a big agreement,” he told reporters. “It’s going to involve more than Ukraine, and I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It’s going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone’s going to be thrilled.”
The envoy was Kirill Dmitriev, the sanctioned chief executive of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. Dmitriev attended a White House event organised by first lady Melania Trump to mark a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, then met Trump privately. Trump said he did not meet the Ukrainian delegation.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who serves as a special envoy, posted on X that a broader European security architecture was needed. He listed five goals: permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communications, greater military transparency, reciprocal steps to reduce escalation risks, and a long-term framework for European security and stability.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not know many details of the potential new framework, and he warned that a deal between Russia and Europe would not be simple and could prove dangerous. He learned of the idea after a phone call on Thursday with Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
European capitals reacted with scepticism. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday that Europe already had established security institutions through NATO and the European Union. POLITICO reported that it spoke to 12 NATO diplomats, EU envoys and European government officials, and most expressed reservations about the proposal.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed that talks between NATO, the US, Ukraine, and EU and European counterparts took place in Brussels on Thursday. The United States will convene trilateral peace discussions with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, the first such meeting since February.
Source: CNN
