Peace Proposals Set to be Delivered to Moscow In the Coming Days, States Zelenskyy

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

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Major Headway, With Critical Obstacles Persist

Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials indicated on Monday that around “90%” of the contentious issues between Russia and Ukraine had been resolved. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the conflict is not guaranteed, especially given the Russian lack of participation from the ongoing discussions.

Early Tuesday morning, the Ukrainian president noted that the American legislature was anticipated to vote on defense assurances and that a finalised set of documents might be ready “today or tomorrow.” Subsequently, the United States would hold consultations with Moscow, potentially followed by high-level meetings possibly this weekend.

Security Guarantees and International Support

“The plan involves five documents. Some of them pertain to security guarantees: formally ratified, that is, approved and endorsed by the United States Congress,” the president remarked to the press. He stated that these guarantees would “reflect the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Earlier, US officials declined to give precise information regarding the likely contents of the security package or the consequences if Russia sought to capture additional territory after a peace deal. They did, however, confirm that the United States has no plans to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Heads of state from the UK, France, Germany and several additional European countries issued a joint statement that troops from a “allied coalition” could “assist in the regeneration of Ukrainian military capabilities, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through conducting operations within its territory.”

However, they did not suggesting these measures would constitute guarantees matching Nato’s article 5. In any case, there is little sign that Moscow is near agreeing to the type of package being negotiated between Washington and Kyiv.

Moscow's Stance and Land Issue

The following day, the Kremlin said it had not received the specifics of the plans for security assurances. Additionally, a senior Russian diplomat, Sergei Ryabkov, declared that the country would not agree to troops from NATO member states operating in Ukraine “no matter what.”

The main sticking point between the Ukrainian team and US negotiators remains the issue of land. A key demand involves Kyiv ceding the parts of the Donbas region it currently controls, while Ukraine wants to maintain the current front lines. “We are discussing the territorial issue. As is known, it is a central problem. At this point, there is no consensus on it yet,” Zelenskyy said after the Berlin talks.

The US negotiation team, headed by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukraine pull back, but Russian troops would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Russia has indicated it could use police and national guard units rather than the military in such an area, implying it would still seek to maintain authority there.

“Let me reiterate: a ‘special economic zone’ does not mean controlled by Moscow. Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognise Donbas – its currently occupied areas – as belonging to Russia. Categorically,” said President Zelenskyy.

Next Steps and Potential Outcomes

It is not clear how Moscow and Kyiv will resolve the territorial issue. Zelenskyy has previously suggested that a compromise solution like a special economic area could be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people voted for it in a referendum. The critical stumbling block is likely to be when the plans are presented to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has given no sign he is prepared to concede on his military objectives.

“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will end up with precisely the situation we are encountering on our flight right now – instability,” commented 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 more weapons if he rejects everything. In my view, that would be a reasonable expectation from Ukraine to the United States,” he added.