Peace Plans Ready for Delivered to Russia Within Days, Says Ukraine's President
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that a framework for a peace deal negotiated with US officials could be finalised in a matter of days. Afterward, American envoys will submit the terms to the Kremlin.
Berlin Talks Yield Significant Progress, But Key Hurdles Remain
After two days of discussions in Berlin, US officials reported 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 conflict is not guaranteed, particularly because Russia's absence from the current dialogue.
Early Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy said that the US Congress is expected to consider security guarantees and that a complete package of documents might be ready “today or tomorrow.” Subsequently, the U.S. would hold consultations with Moscow, leading to summit-level talks possibly this coming weekend.
Security Guarantees and Allied Backing
“The plan involves five key agreements. Some of them concern security guarantees: legally binding, that is, voted on and endorsed by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy remarked to journalists. He stated that these guarantees would “mirror article 5” of the Nato alliance.
On Monday, American representatives did not provide precise information regarding the likely contents of the security package or what would happen if Russia sought to capture additional territory after a peace deal. They did, however, confirm that the United States does not intend to deploy troops on the ground in the country.
Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and several additional European countries said in a unified declaration that troops from a “allied coalition” could “help with the regeneration of Ukrainian military capabilities, in protecting Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, potentially by operating inside Ukraine.”
They stopped short, however, of suggesting these measures would constitute assurances equivalent to NATO's Article 5. Furthermore, there is scant indication that Russia is near agreeing to the kind of arrangement under discussion between the U.S. and Ukraine.
Kremlin Response and Territorial Dispute
On Tuesday, the Russian government said it had not seen the specifics of the proposals on security guarantees. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would never accept troops from NATO member states being stationed in Ukrainian territory “no matter what.”
The main sticking point between the Ukrainian team and their American counterparts remains the issue of land. One proposal centers on Ukraine ceding the areas of the Donbas it still holds, while the Ukrainian side prefers to maintain the current front lines. “Talks continue on the land dispute. As is known, it is a central problem. At this point, there is no agreement on it yet,” Zelenskyy said after the Berlin talks.
The US negotiation team, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukrainian forces withdraw, but Russian troops would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Russia has indicated it could use internal security formations rather than the army in such an area, implying it would still seek to control the territory.
“Let me reiterate: a ‘free economic zone’ does not mean under the control of Russia. Not legally or in practice will we recognise Donbas – its currently occupied areas – as Russian. Absolutely,” stated President Zelenskyy.
Next Steps and Possible Scenarios
The way ahead is uncertain how Moscow and Kyiv will proceed on the land question. The Ukrainian leader has previously suggested that a compromise solution like a special economic area might be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people approved it in a national vote. The major impediment is expected to arise when the plans are presented to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has shown no indication he is prepared to concede on his war aims.
“If Putin rejects everything, we will end up with exactly what we are experiencing on our plane right now – turbulence,” said Zelenskyy, making the statement after his plane took off from Berlin.
“I am confident the United States will apply sanctions pressure and provide us with more weapons if he rejects everything. I think, that would be a fair request from us to the United States,” he added.
