The most difficult issue to resolve is the lone remaining item in trilateral talks between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker told Newsmax on Monday as negotiations inch closer to a potential peace agreement.
Whitaker made the remarks during an appearance on "Wake Up America" with co-hosts Sharla McBride and Marc Lotter, describing recent talks as productive but cautioning that the hardest work still lies ahead.
"We're making progress and knocking the issues down to really one issue," Whitaker said. "And that issue is the territorial makeup of a peace deal."
He noted that security guarantees and economic arrangements have largely been agreed upon, calling the economic component "probably the easiest piece to knock out."
According to Whitaker, territory has always been the central obstacle to ending the war and will require compromise and creativity from all sides.
"This is where the experts are earning their keep," he said. "It's going to take compromise on both sides and both sides being willing to be constructive."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly signaled optimism, declaring that a U.S.-backed security agreement is "100% ready" to be signed, even as Russian forces continued attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure over the weekend.
Whitaker said the framework is largely in place, but sequencing remains critical.
"In addition to the territory issues, you end up with a staging issue," he explained, referring to the order in which commitments are implemented to ensure compliance and trust among all parties.
Whitaker emphasized President Donald Trump's priority of ending the bloodshed, noting that the war has dragged on for four years with devastating consequences.
"Too many people are dying," he said. "The winter has been brutal in Ukraine, especially with electricity being knocked out."
"We need to make sure every piece of the deal is in place, so we can finally have an end to this war."
Whitaker also addressed renewed attention on Greenland, following reports of an outlined agreement tied to Arctic security.
Trump recently said he would not use force to acquire Greenland, but Whitaker underscored its growing strategic importance to NATO and U.S. defense.
"The United States needs Greenland for basing and for positioning the Golden Dome," Whitaker said, referring to missile defense capabilities.
He warned that China and Russia have previously attempted to gain economic footholds in Greenland, posing a real threat to North American security.
As Arctic ice continues to recede, Whitaker said Greenland is becoming a critical anchor for securing the North Atlantic, including missile defense, naval operations, and infrastructure.
"It's never a boring day at NATO," he added. "But these are exactly the kinds of challenges we're here to solve."
Whitaker said negotiations on both Ukraine and Arctic security will continue "every single day," signaling that the Trump administration is pressing forward on multiple fronts to restore stability and strengthen U.S. national security interests abroad.
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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