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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that proposals for a peace deal developed with US officials could be finalised in a matter of days. Following this, American envoys will present the documentation to the Russian leadership.

Berlin Talks Yield Major Headway, But Key Hurdles Persist

Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials reported on Monday that approximately “90%” of the contentious issues between Moscow and Kyiv had been resolved. Although the outlook appears positive, an actual conclusion to the war remains uncertain, especially given Russia's lack of participation from the current dialogue.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the Ukrainian president said that the American legislature was anticipated to consider security guarantees and that a complete package of agreements could be prepared “imminently.” Subsequently, the U.S. would hold consultations with Russian representatives, leading to summit-level talks possibly this weekend.

Defense Assurances and International Support

“The plan involves five key agreements. Some of them pertain to security guarantees: formally ratified, that is, approved and approved by the US Congress,” Zelenskyy commented to journalists. He stated that these assurances would “reflect article 5” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Earlier, American representatives declined to give precise information regarding the probable makeup of the security package or the consequences if Russia sought to capture additional territory following an agreement. They did, however, confirm that the United States has no plans to place boots on the ground in Ukraine.

Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and several additional European countries said in a unified declaration that troops from a “allied coalition” could “assist in the rebuilding of Ukrainian military capabilities, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting maritime security, including through conducting operations within its territory.”

However, they did not proposing these actions would serve as assurances equivalent to NATO's Article 5. In any case, there is scant indication that Russia is near accepting the kind of arrangement being negotiated between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Moscow's Stance and Territorial Dispute

The following day, the Kremlin stated it had not seen the specifics of the proposals on security guarantees. Additionally, a senior Russian diplomat, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that Russia would not agree to troops from Nato countries operating in Ukrainian territory “under any circumstances.”

The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian team and their American counterparts continues to be the issue of land. A key demand involves Ukraine relinquishing the parts of the Donbas it still holds, while Ukraine wants to maintain the current front lines. “Talks continue on the territorial issue. As is known, it is a central problem. At this point, there is no agreement on it yet,” the president said following the Berlin discussions.

The US negotiation team, led by two senior advisors, has suggested a middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukraine pull back, but Russia would not advance, with the resulting zone established as “an open economic area.” Russia has indicated it could use internal security units rather than the army in such an area, suggesting it would still expect 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 do we accept Donbas – its currently occupied areas – as belonging to Russia. Categorically,” said Zelenskyy.

Path Forward and Possible Scenarios

It is not clear how the two sides will resolve the territorial issue. Zelenskyy has previously suggested that a compromise solution like a free economic zone could be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people approved it in a national vote. The major impediment is expected to arise when the proposals are presented to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has given no sign he is prepared to concede on his war aims.

“If Putin rejects everything, we will face precisely the situation we are encountering on our plane right now – instability,” commented the president, making the statement after his plane took off from Berlin.

“I believe the United States will increase sanction pressure and provide us with more weapons if he rejects everything. In my view, that would be a reasonable expectation from us to the Americans,” he concluded.