Diplomatic Plans Ready for Presented to Moscow Within Days, Says Ukraine's President
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that a framework for a peace deal developed with American diplomats could be completed in a matter of days. Following this, American envoys will present the documentation to the Kremlin.
Negotiations in Berlin Produce Major Headway, But Key Hurdles Persist
Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials indicated on Monday that around “90%” of the disputed points between Russia and Ukraine had been resolved. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the conflict is not guaranteed, especially given the Russian absence from the current dialogue.
Early Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy noted that the US Congress is expected to vote on security guarantees and that a complete package of documents could be prepared “imminently.” He added that, the U.S. would engage in discussions with Moscow, potentially followed by summit-level talks as soon as this weekend.
Defense Assurances and International Support
“We are counting on five documents. Several pertain to binding security pledges: legally binding, that is, approved and approved by the US Congress,” Zelenskyy commented to journalists. He clarified that these guarantees would “mirror the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
On Monday, US officials declined to give precise information regarding the likely contents of the defense package or what would happen if Moscow sought to capture more land after a peace deal. Officials did confirm that the United States has no plans to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.
Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and eight other European nations issued a joint statement that forces belonging to a “coalition of the willing” could “assist in the regeneration of Ukrainian military capabilities, in protecting Ukrainian airspace, and in ensuring maritime security, potentially by conducting operations within Ukraine.”
However, they did not proposing these measures would serve as assurances matching Nato’s article 5. In any case, there is little sign that Russia is near accepting the kind of arrangement being negotiated between Washington and Kyiv.
Moscow's Stance and Territorial Dispute
On Tuesday, the Kremlin stated it had not received the details of the proposals on security assurances. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that Russia would never accept forces of NATO member states being stationed in Ukrainian territory “no matter what.”
The main sticking point between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators remains the territorial question. One proposal centers on Ukraine ceding the areas of the Donbas it currently controls, while the Ukrainian side wants to maintain the current front lines. “We are discussing the land dispute. As is known, it is a central problem. Currently, there is no agreement on it yet,” the president said following the Berlin discussions.
American mediators, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has suggested a compromise solution. This framework would see Ukrainian forces pull back, but Russia would not advance, with the demilitarised area becoming “an open economic area.” Moscow has indicated it could use police and national guard units rather than the military in such an area, suggesting it would still seek to maintain authority there.
“I want to stress once again: a ‘special economic zone’ does not mean under the control of Russia. Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognise the Donbas region – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Absolutely,” said Zelenskyy.
Next Steps and Possible Scenarios
It is not clear how the two sides will resolve the territorial issue. Zelenskyy has earlier mentioned that a negotiated arrangement such as a free economic zone could be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people approved it in a national vote. The critical stumbling block is likely to be when the proposals are put to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has shown no indication he is prepared to concede on his military objectives.
“If Putin rejects everything, we will end up with precisely the situation we are encountering on our flight right now – turbulence,” said Zelenskyy, recording the comments after his plane took off from Berlin.
“I am confident the United States will increase sanction pressure and provide us with additional armaments if he rejects everything. I think, that would be a fair request from us to the United States,” he concluded.
