Peace Plans Ready for Presented to Moscow Within Days, Says Ukraine's President

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that a framework for a ceasefire agreement developed with American diplomats could be finalised in a matter of days. Afterward, American envoys are expected to submit the terms to the Russian leadership.

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Major Headway, But Key Hurdles Remain

Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials indicated on Monday that approximately “90%” of the contentious issues between Russia and Ukraine had been settled. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the war is not guaranteed, particularly because Russia's absence from the current dialogue.

Early Tuesday morning, the Ukrainian president noted that the US Congress was anticipated to consider defense assurances and that a complete package of documents could be prepared “today or tomorrow.” Subsequently, the United States would engage in discussions with Moscow, potentially followed by high-level meetings possibly this coming weekend.

Security Guarantees and Allied Backing

“We are counting on five documents. Some of them pertain to security guarantees: formally ratified, that is, approved and endorsed by the US Congress,” Zelenskyy commented to the press. He stated that these assurances would “reflect the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

On Monday, US officials did not provide precise information regarding the likely contents of the defense package or the consequences if Russia attempted to seize additional territory following an agreement. They did, however, confirm that the U.S. has no plans to place boots on the ground in the country.

Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and eight other European nations issued a joint statement that troops from a “coalition of the willing” could “help with the rebuilding of Ukrainian military capabilities, in securing Ukrainian airspace, and in ensuring maritime security, including through operating inside Ukraine.”

However, they did not proposing these actions would serve as guarantees equivalent to NATO's Article 5. Furthermore, there is little sign that Moscow is anywhere close to agreeing to the kind of arrangement under discussion between Washington and Kyiv.

Moscow's Stance and Territorial Dispute

The following day, the Russian government stated it had not received the specifics of the proposals on security guarantees. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would not agree to troops from Nato countries operating 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 Kyiv relinquishing the parts of the Donbas it still holds, while the Ukrainian side wants to freeze the lines. “We are discussing the land dispute. As is known, it is a central problem. Currently, there is no consensus on it yet,” the president said following the Berlin discussions.

American mediators, headed by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukrainian forces pull back, but Russia would not advance, with the demilitarised area becoming “an open economic area.” Russia has suggested it could use internal security formations instead of the army in such an area, implying it would still expect to maintain authority there.

“I want to stress once again: a ‘free economic zone’ does not mean controlled by Russia. Not legally or in practice do we accept Donbas – its temporarily occupied part – as belonging to Russia. Categorically,” stated President Zelenskyy.

Path Forward and Potential Outcomes

The way ahead is uncertain how Moscow and Kyiv will proceed on the territorial issue. The Ukrainian leader has previously suggested that a compromise solution like a free economic zone might be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people approved it in a national vote. The major impediment is likely to be when the plans 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 plane right now – turbulence,” commented the president, making the statement after his plane took off from Berlin.

“I believe the United States will apply sanctions pressure and provide us with more weapons if they reject the deal. I think, that would be a reasonable expectation from us to the Americans,” he concluded.