Diplomatic Plans Set to be Delivered to Russia Within Days, Says Ukraine's President
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that proposals for a ceasefire agreement developed with American diplomats are poised to be finalised in a matter of days. Afterward, U.S. representatives are expected to submit the terms to the Russian leadership.
Berlin Talks Yield Major Headway, With Critical Obstacles Persist
After two days of discussions in Berlin, American negotiators indicated on Monday that around “90%” of the contentious issues between Moscow and Kyiv had been resolved. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the conflict remains uncertain, particularly because the Russian lack of participation from the current dialogue.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that the American legislature was anticipated to vote on security guarantees 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 as soon as this weekend.
Security Guarantees and Allied Backing
“We are counting on five key agreements. Some of them concern binding security pledges: legally binding, that is, voted on and endorsed by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy commented to journalists. He stated that these guarantees would “reflect article 5” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
On Monday, American representatives declined to give precise information regarding the likely contents of the security package or what would happen if Moscow sought to capture additional territory after a peace deal. Officials did confirm that the U.S. does not intend to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.
Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and eight other European nations issued a joint statement that forces belonging to a “coalition of the willing” could “help with the regeneration of Ukrainian military capabilities, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in ensuring maritime security, including through conducting operations within Ukraine.”
However, they did not proposing these measures would constitute assurances equivalent to NATO's Article 5. In any case, there is scant indication that Moscow is near accepting the type of package being negotiated between Washington and Kyiv.
Moscow's Stance and Land Issue
The following day, the Russian government said it had not seen the details of the proposals on security assurances. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would not agree to troops from Nato countries being stationed in Ukrainian territory “no matter what.”
The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian negotiators and their American counterparts remains the issue of land. One proposal centers on Kyiv relinquishing the parts of the Donbas it still holds, while Ukraine 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,” Zelenskyy said following the Berlin discussions.
The US negotiation team, headed by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukrainian forces withdraw, but Russia would not move forward, with the resulting zone established as “an open economic area.” Russia has indicated it could use police and national guard units rather than the army in such an area, suggesting it would still expect to control the territory.
“Let me reiterate: a ‘special economic zone’ does not mean controlled by Russia. Not legally or in practice will we recognise the Donbas region – its currently occupied areas – as belonging to Russia. Absolutely,” stated Zelenskyy.
Path Forward and Possible Scenarios
It is not clear how the two sides will resolve the territorial issue. Zelenskyy has earlier mentioned that a compromise solution such as a free economic zone might be theoretically possible if the citizens of Ukraine voted for it in a national vote. 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 willing to compromise on his war aims.
“If Putin rejects everything, we will face precisely the situation we are encountering on our flight right now – instability,” commented Zelenskyy, making the statement after his plane departed from Berlin.
“I believe the United States will apply sanctions pressure and supply more weapons if he rejects everything. In my view, that would be a reasonable expectation from us to the United States,” he added.
