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

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Significant Progress, With Critical Obstacles Persist

Following extensive talks in Berlin, American negotiators reported on Monday that approximately “90%” of the contentious issues between Moscow and Kyiv had been settled. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the war is not guaranteed, particularly because the Russian absence from the current dialogue.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Zelenskyy 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.” He added that, the United States would engage in discussions with Moscow, potentially followed by high-level meetings possibly this weekend.

Defense Assurances and International Support

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

Earlier, US officials did not provide precise information regarding the probable makeup of the security package or what would happen if Russia attempted to seize additional territory after a peace deal. Officials did confirm that the United States has no plans to place boots on the ground in Ukraine.

Heads of state from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and several additional European nations said in a unified declaration that troops from a “coalition of the willing” could “assist in the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in protecting Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting maritime security, potentially by operating inside its territory.”

They stopped short, however, of proposing these actions would constitute guarantees equivalent to NATO's Article 5. In any case, there is scant indication that Russia is anywhere close to accepting the kind of arrangement under discussion between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Kremlin Response and Territorial Dispute

The following day, the Kremlin stated it had not received the details of the proposals on security guarantees. Additionally, a senior Russian diplomat, Sergei Ryabkov, asserted that the country would never accept forces of Nato countries operating in Ukrainian territory “no matter what.”

The main sticking point between the Ukrainian team and US negotiators continues to be the issue of land. One proposal involves Ukraine relinquishing the parts of the Donbas region it still holds, while the Ukrainian side wants to maintain the current front lines. “Talks continue on the land dispute. As is known, it is a central problem. Currently, there is no agreement on it yet,” the president remarked following the Berlin discussions.

American mediators, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has suggested a middle-ground proposal. Under this plan would see Ukraine withdraw, but Russian troops would not move forward, with the demilitarised area established as “an open economic area.” Moscow has suggested it could use police and national guard units instead of the military in such an area, suggesting it would still expect to control the territory.

“I want to stress once again: a ‘free economic zone’ is not under the control of Moscow. Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognise Donbas – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Absolutely,” said President Zelenskyy.

Next Steps and Potential Outcomes

The way ahead is uncertain how Moscow and Kyiv will proceed on the land question. Zelenskyy 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 proposals are put to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has shown no indication he is prepared to concede on his military objectives.

“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will face exactly what we are experiencing on our plane right now – turbulence,” commented the president, recording the comments after his plane departed from Berlin.

“I believe the United States will apply sanctions pressure and provide us with more weapons if he rejects everything. In my view, that would be a fair request from Ukraine to the Americans,” he concluded.