Trump provides optimism regarding security assurances as Ukraine prepares for the meeting with Putin

Ukraine's allies reported that President Donald Trump showed a willingness to back security guarantees for Kyiv, a potentially significant yet currently unclear proposal that may offer some hope to Ukraine on Thursday, just before a U.S.-Russia summit aimed at resolving the conflict. Trump demonstrated his readiness to engage in the guarantees during a last-minute virtual conference with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday, according to the leaders, although he did not publicly comment on the matter afterward. Zelenskiy and his supporters have expressed some optimism as they intensified efforts to prevent any agreement between Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin at the upcoming meeting in Alaska on Friday, which could leave Ukraine vulnerable to further Russian aggression. The summit on Friday comes at a particularly challenging time for Ukraine amidst the ongoing war, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Following Wednesday's meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron noted that Trump emphasized that the transatlantic NATO alliance should not be part of the security guarantees intended to protect Ukraine from future attacks in a post-war arrangement. "President Trump also made this point clear, stating things that I consider significant: specifically, that NATO should not be involved in these security guarantees - and we recognize this is a crucial aspect, especially for the Russian side - but (also) that the United States and all willing allies should participate in them. That is our commitment," Macron stated. "For me, this was an important clarification today." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who facilitated Wednesday's meeting, also confirmed that there would be strong security guarantees. "President Trump confirmed this today and indicated his support," he informed reporters.