Overview

• The United States signaled readiness to coordinate Ukraine security guarantees with European partners, with U.S. officials tapping Marco Rubio to lead drafting work expected over the next week to ten days.
• President Trump said he phoned Vladimir Putin and began arranging a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting, while Moscow indicated only a possible elevation of delegation levels rather than confirming a leaders’ summit.
• European leaders, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron, pressed for a ceasefire before further talks, whereas Trump said negotiations could proceed during ongoing fighting and Zelenskyy agreed to meet without preconditions.
• Discussions referenced Article‑5‑like assurances and potential European peacekeeping roles, but Russia’s Foreign Ministry rejected any NATO troops on Ukrainian soil and warned such deployments risk escalation.
• The White House did not move toward new sanctions on Russia, and Trump later said the U.S. could provide air cover for European forces under a settlement while excluding American ground troops.