Peace Proposals Ready for Presented to Moscow In the Coming Days, Says Ukraine's President

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that proposals for a ceasefire agreement negotiated with American diplomats are poised to be finalised in a matter of days. Afterward, U.S. representatives will present the terms to the Russian leadership.

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Significant Progress, But Key Hurdles Remain

Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials reported on Monday that around “90%” of the disputed points between Russia and Ukraine had been settled. Although the outlook appears positive, an actual conclusion to the war remains uncertain, particularly because the Russian absence from the current dialogue.

Early Tuesday morning, the Ukrainian president noted that the American legislature was anticipated to vote on defense assurances and that a finalised set of documents might be ready “imminently.” He added that, the United States would hold consultations with Moscow, leading to high-level meetings possibly this coming weekend.

Defense Assurances and International Support

“The plan involves five documents. Several concern security guarantees: formally ratified, that is, approved and approved by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy remarked to the press. He clarified that these guarantees would “reflect the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

On Monday, American representatives declined to give specific details regarding the likely contents of the defense package or what would happen if Russia attempted to seize more land after a peace deal. They did, however, confirm that the U.S. does not intend to deploy troops on the ground in the country.

Heads of state from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and eight other European nations said in a unified declaration that forces belonging to a “coalition of the willing” could “help with the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in protecting Ukrainian airspace, and in ensuring maritime security, potentially by operating inside Ukraine.”

However, they did not proposing these actions would constitute guarantees matching Nato’s article 5. Furthermore, there is little sign that Moscow is anywhere close to agreeing to the kind of arrangement under discussion between Washington and Kyiv.

Moscow's Stance and Land Issue

The following day, the Russian government stated it had not seen the specifics of the plans for security assurances. Additionally, a senior Russian diplomat, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would not agree to forces of NATO member states being stationed in Ukrainian territory “under any circumstances.”

The main sticking point between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators continues to be the territorial question. A key demand centers on Kyiv relinquishing the parts of the Donbas it currently controls, while Ukraine wants to maintain the current front lines. “Talks continue on the land dispute. You know, it is a central problem. Currently, there is no agreement on it yet,” Zelenskyy remarked following the Berlin discussions.

American mediators, led by two senior advisors, has proposed a compromise solution. This framework would see Ukraine withdraw, but Russian troops would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “an open economic area.” Russia has indicated it could use police and national guard units instead of the military in such an area, implying it would still seek to maintain authority there.

“I want to stress once again: a ‘free economic zone’ is not under the control of Moscow. Not legally or in practice will we recognise Donbas – its currently occupied areas – as belonging to Russia. Absolutely,” stated Zelenskyy.

Next Steps and Possible Scenarios

It is not clear how the two sides will resolve the land question. Zelenskyy has earlier mentioned that a compromise solution such as a special economic area could be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people approved it in a national vote. The major impediment is expected to arise when the proposals are presented to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has given no sign 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 flight right now – instability,” said the president, making the statement after his plane took off from Berlin.

“I am confident the United States will apply sanctions pressure and supply more weapons if they reject the deal. I think, that would be a reasonable expectation from us to the United States,” he added.