A special delegation of European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a White House visit today intended to bolster Kyiv as diplomacy intensified on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The leaders sought clarity from U.S. President Donald Trump as he dropped ceasefire demands and urged a settlement that would require Ukrainian territorial concessions. Prospects for a lasting settlement to Europe’s bloodiest war in eighty years appeared remote but the parties vowed to press ahead with diplomacy.
CFR’s Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe, unpacked the latest from today’s much-anticipated summit, where President Trump signaled a willingness to provide U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine—long seen as a necessity to ensure Ukraine’s long-term future—though he did not elaborate what form that would take.
Explore more timely analysis on this latest phase of peacemaking and implications for transatlantic security from CFR experts who have been tracking the war since the 2022 invasion.
“It could’ve been worse, but it was nevertheless a defeat for the United States and a victory for Vladimir Putin,” says CFR’s Max Boot on the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin.
As Trump and Putin signal that they want to bypass a ceasefire while negotiating a deal to end the war, U.S. and European leaders need to lay the groundwork for lasting stability, writes CFR’s Paul B. Stares. Designing provisions that impose high costs to Russia for future aggression is essential to making sure that any agreement will hold.
Although an “Article 5-like” security guarantee has been floated in recent days, Ukraine, with help from allies, should create a multilayered defense system to prevent another Russian invasion while being financially sustainable for Ukraine’s allies, argue Paul B. Stares and Brookings Institution’s Michael O’Hanlon.
Putin’s war in Ukraine is not just about territory—it’s a calculated move rooted in history to reclaim Russia’s global influence and potentially redraw Europe’s borders. To safeguard European security, the West should revive a proven strategy: build a strong deterrent while pursuing dialogue to create long-term stability, writes CFR’s Thomas Graham.
The Trump administration has consistently signaled that European allies need to take the lead in securing Ukraine. How they respond has a crucial bearing on the continent’s fate and the future of the transatlantic partnership write Paul B. Stares and Michael O’Hanlon.
Since Russia’s invasion over three years ago, Ukraine has become far and away the top recipient of U.S. foreign aid, though it has repeatedly been frozen and unfrozen under the second Trump administration. Nine charts illustrate the support the United States has provided Ukraine to help fight off Russian occupation.
The country has shown resilience and perseverance despite facing multiple challenges and Russian interference since it first achieved independence in 1991.
Ensuring that Ukraine is able to resist and survive Russia’s full-scale invasion is essential to restore peace and security to Europe. The Council’s Special Initiative on the war in Ukraine provides timely, informed analysis and policy recommendations for U.S. policymakers and the American public.
