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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that proposals for a peace deal developed with US officials are poised to be completed in a matter of days. Following this, U.S. representatives are expected to present the terms to the Kremlin.

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Major Headway, With Critical Obstacles Persist

Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials reported on Monday that around “90%” of the disputed points between Moscow and Kyiv had been resolved. Although the outlook appears positive, the path to ending the war is not guaranteed, particularly because the Russian lack of participation from the ongoing discussions.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that the US Congress was anticipated to consider defense assurances and that a finalised set of agreements could be prepared “imminently.” He added that, the U.S. would engage in discussions with Moscow, leading to high-level meetings possibly this weekend.

Security Guarantees and International Support

“The plan involves five key agreements. Some of them pertain to binding security pledges: formally ratified, that is, approved and approved by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy remarked to the press. He stated that these assurances would “mirror article 5” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

On Monday, US officials did not provide specific details regarding the probable makeup of the security package or what would happen if Russia attempted to seize additional territory after a peace deal. They did, however, confirm that the United States does not intend to place boots on the ground in Ukraine.

Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and several additional European nations said in a unified declaration that troops from a “allied coalition” could “assist in the rebuilding of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in ensuring maritime security, potentially by operating inside its territory.”

They stopped short, however, of proposing these measures would constitute guarantees matching NATO's Article 5. Furthermore, there is little sign that Russia is near agreeing to the kind of arrangement under discussion between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Moscow's Stance and Land Issue

The following day, the Kremlin stated it had not seen the details of the plans for security guarantees. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, asserted that Russia would not agree to troops from Nato countries being stationed in Ukraine “under any circumstances.”

The main sticking point between the Ukrainian team and US negotiators continues to be the issue of land. A key demand involves Ukraine relinquishing the areas of the Donbas it currently controls, while the Ukrainian side prefers to freeze the lines. “Talks continue on the land dispute. As is known, it is one of the key issues. Currently, there is no agreement on it yet,” the president remarked after the Berlin talks.

American mediators, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukrainian forces withdraw, but Russia would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Moscow has suggested it could use police and national guard units rather than the army in such an area, implying it would still expect to maintain authority there.

“Let me reiterate: a ‘free economic zone’ is not under the control of Russia. Not legally or in practice do we accept Donbas – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Categorically,” stated President Zelenskyy.

Path Forward and Possible Scenarios

It is not clear how Moscow and Kyiv will resolve the territorial issue. Zelenskyy has earlier mentioned that a negotiated arrangement like a special economic area might be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people voted for it in a national vote. The critical stumbling block is likely to be when the proposals are put to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has shown no indication he is prepared to concede on his war aims.

“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will face precisely the situation we are experiencing on our flight right now – instability,” said Zelenskyy, recording the comments after his plane departed from Berlin.

“I am confident the United States will increase sanction pressure and provide us with more weapons if they reject the deal. In my view, that would be a fair request from Ukraine to the Americans,” he added.