Overview

• Russia has not confirmed a Putin–Zelensky meeting, with Sergey Lavrov saying any leader-level session must cap fully prepared talks rather than launch them.
• Trump has ruled out U.S. ground troops but says Washington could provide air support as NATO and U.S. defense officials discuss a framework of Article 5‑style guarantees.
• European capitals are weighing a limited peacekeeping or tripwire presence in Ukraine, with Trump signaling a U.S. air backstop while details and credibility remain in flux.
• Lavrov rejected Western security planning that excludes Russia and revived a 2022 idea for UN Security Council guarantors, a concept European officials criticize as unworkable.
• Territorial questions remain unsettled, with reporting of possible de facto arrangements based on current front lines as Trump references land “swaps,” while Mark Rutte says the topic was not discussed Monday and Kyiv insists it will decide on its territory.