Peace Proposals Set to be Delivered to Moscow In the Coming Days, Says Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that a framework for a peace deal developed with US officials could be completed in a matter of days. Afterward, American envoys are expected to submit the terms to the Russian leadership.
Berlin Talks Yield Major Headway, But Key Hurdles Remain
After two days of discussions in Berlin, American negotiators indicated on Monday that approximately “90%” of the contentious issues between Moscow and Kyiv had been resolved. Although the outlook appears positive, an actual conclusion to the conflict remains uncertain, particularly because the Russian absence from the ongoing discussions.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the Ukrainian president said that the US Congress is expected to consider defense assurances and that a finalised set of agreements could be prepared “imminently.” Subsequently, the U.S. would hold consultations with Russian representatives, leading to high-level meetings as soon as this weekend.
Security Guarantees and International Support
“We are counting on five documents. Several pertain to security guarantees: legally binding, that is, voted on and approved by the United States Congress,” the president commented to journalists. He clarified that these assurances would “mirror the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
On Monday, US officials did not provide specific details regarding the likely contents of the defense package or what would happen if Moscow attempted to seize more land after a peace deal. They did, however, confirm that the U.S. has no plans to place boots on the ground in Ukraine.
Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and several additional European countries issued a joint statement that troops from a “allied coalition” could “assist in the rebuilding of Ukraine’s forces, in protecting Ukrainian airspace, and in ensuring maritime security, potentially by operating inside its territory.”
However, they did not suggesting these measures would serve as assurances matching Nato’s article 5. Furthermore, there is little sign that Russia is anywhere close to accepting the kind of arrangement under discussion between Washington and Kyiv.
Kremlin Response and Land Issue
On Tuesday, the Russian government stated it had not seen the specifics of the plans for security guarantees. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would never accept forces of NATO member states operating in Ukrainian territory “under any circumstances.”
The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators continues to be the territorial question. One proposal involves Ukraine ceding the parts of the Donbas region it still holds, while Ukraine prefers to maintain the current front 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 after the Berlin talks.
The US negotiation team, headed by two senior advisors, has suggested a compromise solution. This framework would see Ukraine pull back, but Russia would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Moscow has suggested it could use internal security units rather than 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 controlled by Russia. Not legally or in practice do we accept Donbas – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Categorically,” said Zelenskyy.
Path Forward and Potential Outcomes
It is not clear how Moscow and Kyiv will proceed on the territorial issue. The Ukrainian leader has earlier mentioned 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 proposals are presented to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has given no sign he is prepared to concede on his war aims.
“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will end up with precisely the situation we are encountering on our flight right now – instability,” said 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 United States,” he concluded.
