Diplomatic Plans Ready for Delivered to Moscow In the Coming Days, Says Ukraine's President

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. Following this, U.S. representatives are expected to submit the terms to the Kremlin.

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Significant Progress, With Critical Obstacles Persist

After two days of discussions in Berlin, American negotiators indicated on Monday that around “90%” of the disputed points between Russia and Ukraine had been settled. Despite this optimistic assessment, an actual conclusion to the conflict is not guaranteed, especially given the Russian lack of participation from the ongoing discussions.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Zelenskyy noted that the American legislature is expected to consider security guarantees and that a complete package of documents might be ready “imminently.” He added that, the United States would engage in discussions with Russian representatives, leading to high-level meetings as soon as this coming weekend.

Security Guarantees and International Support

“The plan involves five documents. Some of them pertain to security guarantees: legally binding, that is, approved and endorsed by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy remarked to journalists. He stated that these assurances would “mirror the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Earlier, American representatives did not provide precise information regarding the probable makeup of the defense package or what would happen if Russia sought to capture additional territory following an agreement. They did, however, confirm that the U.S. has no plans to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Heads of state from the UK, France, Germany and eight other European countries said in a unified declaration that troops from a “coalition of the willing” could “help with the rebuilding of Ukraine’s forces, in protecting Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, potentially by operating inside its territory.”

They stopped short, however, of proposing these actions would serve as guarantees matching Nato’s article 5. Furthermore, there is little sign that Moscow is anywhere close to accepting 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 details of the plans for security assurances. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would never accept troops from Nato countries being stationed in Ukrainian territory “under any circumstances.”

The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators remains the territorial question. One proposal centers on Ukraine relinquishing the parts of the Donbas region it currently controls, while the Ukrainian side prefers to maintain the current front lines. “We are discussing the land dispute. As is known, it is one of the key issues. At this point, there is no agreement on it yet,” the president remarked following the Berlin discussions.

The US negotiation team, 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 resulting zone established as “an open economic area.” Moscow has indicated it could use police and national guard formations instead of the military in such an area, suggesting it would still expect to control the territory.

“Let me reiterate: a ‘special economic zone’ is not under the control of Russia. Not legally or in practice will we recognise Donbas – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Absolutely,” said Zelenskyy.

Next Steps and Possible Scenarios

The way ahead is uncertain how the two sides will resolve the land question. Zelenskyy has previously suggested that a negotiated arrangement like a free economic zone might be conceivable if the Ukrainian people approved it in a national vote. The critical stumbling block is likely to be when the proposals are put to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has shown no indication he is willing to compromise on his war aims.

“If Putin rejects everything, we will end up with precisely the situation we are encountering on our flight right now – instability,” said Zelenskyy, recording the comments after his plane departed from Berlin.

“I am confident 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 us to the Americans,” he added.