US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has paid his first visit to Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the diplomat, the main topic of the talks was how to end Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and what a realistic peace formula could look like.
Whitaker said he conveyed to Zelensky his position that the war must be brought to an end and that, in his view, a peace achieved through the efforts of US President Donald Trump is “the only possible way forward.” At the same time, he stressed that any political settlement should be backed by concrete and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine.
This is not the first time Whitaker has voiced such ideas. Earlier, he stated that Kyiv could, in theory, agree to “freeze” the conflict along the current line of contact — but only if Western partners provide strong, enforceable guarantees and continue military support. In October, he also said that the United States could supply Ukraine with weapons capable of seriously weakening Russia’s military potential.
The ambassador noted that Russia has failed to achieve significant success on the battlefield and that the Kremlin’s threats to Western countries are “somewhat exaggerated.” At the same time, he drew attention to the gradual weakening of the Russian economy.
Whitaker reminded that several NATO states may soon announce additional funding to purchase American weapons for Ukraine — this issue is being coordinated with partners.
The visit to Kyiv is important symbolically: it demonstrates that Ukraine continues to work directly not only with individual allied countries, but also with representatives of NATO structures on the political framework of ending the war, post-war security architecture, and further military assistance.
