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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that proposals for a peace deal negotiated with American diplomats could be finalised in a matter of days. Following this, U.S. representatives will submit the terms to the Russian leadership.

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Major Headway, But Key Hurdles 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 resolved. Although the outlook appears positive, an actual conclusion to the war is not guaranteed, especially given Russia's absence from the current dialogue.

Early Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy said that the US Congress was anticipated to consider security guarantees and that a finalised set of agreements might be ready “today or tomorrow.” He added that, the United States would engage in discussions with Russian representatives, leading to summit-level talks possibly this weekend.

Defense Assurances and Allied Backing

“The plan involves five documents. Some of them pertain to security guarantees: legally binding, that is, approved and approved by the United States Congress,” the president commented to journalists. He stated that these assurances would “mirror article 5” of the Nato alliance.

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

Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and eight other European nations 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 ensuring safer seas, potentially by conducting operations within its territory.”

However, they did not suggesting these measures would serve as guarantees matching NATO's Article 5. Furthermore, there is scant indication that Moscow is near agreeing to the type of package under discussion between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Moscow's Stance and Territorial Dispute

On Tuesday, the Russian government said it had not received the details of the proposals on security assurances. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that Russia would never accept forces of NATO member states being stationed in Ukrainian territory “under any circumstances.”

The main sticking point between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators remains the territorial question. One proposal involves Ukraine relinquishing the areas of the Donbas region it currently controls, while Ukraine wants to freeze the lines. “Talks continue on the territorial issue. You know, it is one of the key issues. 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 middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukraine pull back, but Russian troops would not advance, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Russia has suggested it could use internal security formations rather than the military in such an area, suggesting it would still expect to control the territory.

“Let me reiterate: a ‘free economic zone’ is not under the control of Russia. Not legally or in practice do we accept the Donbas region – its currently occupied areas – as Russian. Absolutely,” said President Zelenskyy.

Path Forward and Potential Outcomes

The way ahead is uncertain how Moscow and Kyiv will resolve the territorial issue. The Ukrainian leader has previously suggested that a compromise solution like a free economic zone could be conceivable if the Ukrainian people voted for it in a referendum. The major impediment is likely to be when the plans are presented to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has shown no indication he is willing to compromise on his military objectives.

“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will face exactly what we are encountering on our flight right now – instability,” commented Zelenskyy, making the statement after his plane took off from Berlin.

“I believe the United States will apply sanctions pressure and provide us with additional armaments if they reject the deal. I think, that would be a fair request from Ukraine to the United States,” he concluded.