Unity at the White House Sharpens Pressure on Putin
Briefly

Leaders from various European countries, along with Ukraine's President Zelensky, convened at the White House to demonstrate unity against ongoing violence. Ambassador Kurt Volker noted this as a potential starting point for negotiations, highlighting Ukraine and European leaders' more modest approach compared to Putin's maximalist demands. Despite the cancellation of a Trump-Putin press conference, the meeting was characterized positively by Ambassador Witkoff, who mentioned progress on agreeing to Article 5-like protections for Ukraine, which would signify heightened collective defense measures against Russia.
"This looks to me like the beginning of negotiations," Ambassador Kurt Volker said, indicating that Ukraine and European leaders are now presenting a more realistic position compared to Putin's maximalist stance.
Even though a scheduled press conference between Presidents Trump and Putin was cancelled, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff referred to the meeting as a win, noting progress on convincing Russia regarding Article 5-like protections.
Read at The Cipher Brief
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