Peace Proposals Ready for Presented to Russia Within Days, Says Ukraine's President

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that proposals for a ceasefire agreement negotiated with American diplomats could be completed in a matter of days. Afterward, U.S. representatives are expected to present the documentation to the Russian leadership.

Berlin Talks Yield Major Headway, With Critical Obstacles Persist

Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials reported on Monday that around “90%” of the disputed points between Russia and Ukraine had been settled. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the conflict remains uncertain, especially given Russia's absence from the ongoing discussions.

Early Tuesday morning, the Ukrainian president said that the US Congress was anticipated to consider security guarantees and that a finalised set of agreements might be ready “imminently.” Subsequently, the United States would engage in discussions with Moscow, potentially followed by summit-level talks possibly this weekend.

Defense Assurances and International Support

“We are counting on five key agreements. Some of them concern binding security pledges: legally binding, that is, approved and approved by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy commented to the press. He clarified that these guarantees would “reflect article 5” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Earlier, American representatives did not provide precise information regarding the probable makeup of the security package or what would happen if Russia sought to capture additional territory after a peace deal. Officials did confirm that the United States has no plans to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Heads of state from the United Kingdom, France, and 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 Ukrainian airspace, and in ensuring maritime security, potentially by conducting operations within its territory.”

However, they did not suggesting these actions would serve as assurances matching NATO's Article 5. In any case, there is scant indication that Moscow is near accepting the type of package under discussion between Washington and Kyiv.

Moscow's Stance and Land Issue

On Tuesday, the Russian government stated it had not seen the details of the plans for security assurances. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, asserted that Russia would not agree to troops from Nato countries being stationed in Ukraine “no matter what.”

The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian team and their American counterparts continues to be the territorial question. One proposal involves Kyiv relinquishing the areas of the Donbas it still holds, while the Ukrainian side prefers to maintain the current front lines. “Talks continue on the territorial issue. You know, it is a central problem. At this point, there is no agreement on it yet,” Zelenskyy remarked after the Berlin talks.

The US negotiation team, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a compromise solution. Under this plan would see Ukraine pull back, but Russia would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Moscow has indicated it could use internal security formations rather than the army in such an area, implying it would still expect to control the territory.

“Let me reiterate: a ‘special economic zone’ is not controlled by Russia. Not legally or in practice do we accept the Donbas region – its temporarily occupied part – as belonging to Russia. Absolutely,” said President Zelenskyy.

Path Forward and Potential Outcomes

The way ahead is uncertain how the two sides will proceed on the territorial issue. The Ukrainian leader has previously suggested that a compromise solution like a free economic zone might be conceivable if the citizens of Ukraine approved it in a referendum. The major impediment is likely to be when the plans are presented to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has shown no indication he is willing to compromise on his military objectives.

“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will end up with exactly what we are experiencing on our plane right now – turbulence,” commented Zelenskyy, 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 Ukraine to the United States,” he concluded.