Overview

• The White House said Vladimir Putin has "promised" to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while Moscow remained noncommittal and emphasized that any leaders’ talks require careful preparation.
• President Donald Trump ruled out U.S. ground forces but left open U.S. air support as part of security guarantees, and U.S. and European chiefs of staff are due to discuss implementation this week.
• Budapest emerged in reports as a possible summit venue with U.S. Secret Service preparations described, though the site is unconfirmed and other locations have been floated.
• European allies are negotiating guarantees that could put soldiers in Ukraine, with Bloomberg reporting up to ten EU countries ready to contribute as Germany’s leadership debates any Bundeswehr role.
• Russia rejected any deployment of troops from NATO members in Ukraine and pressed to be included in security discussions, as Hungary and Slovakia reported Druzhba oil supply interruptions.