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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that proposals for a ceasefire agreement negotiated with US officials are poised to be completed in a matter of days. Afterward, U.S. representatives are expected to present the documentation to the Russian leadership.

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Significant Progress, With Critical Obstacles Persist

Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials reported on Monday that approximately “90%” of the disputed points between Moscow and Kyiv had been resolved. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the war remains uncertain, especially given the Russian absence from the ongoing discussions.

Early Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy said that the American legislature was anticipated 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, potentially followed by high-level meetings as soon as this weekend.

Security Guarantees and Allied Backing

“The plan involves five key agreements. Several pertain to security guarantees: formally ratified, that is, approved and endorsed by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy remarked to journalists. He clarified that these assurances would “mirror the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Earlier, US officials did not provide specific details regarding the probable makeup of the security package or what would happen if Moscow sought to capture additional territory after a peace deal. They did, however, confirm that the United States has no plans to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Heads of state from the UK, France, Germany and eight other European nations said in a unified declaration that forces belonging to a “coalition of the willing” could “help with the rebuilding of Ukraine’s forces, in protecting Ukraine’s skies, and in ensuring maritime security, potentially by conducting operations within its territory.”

However, they did not proposing these actions would constitute guarantees equivalent to Nato’s article 5. In any case, there is little sign that Russia is anywhere close to accepting the kind of arrangement under discussion between Washington and Kyiv.

Kremlin Response and Land Issue

The following day, the Russian government said it had not received the specifics of the proposals on security assurances. Additionally, a senior Russian diplomat, Sergey Ryabkov, declared that Russia would not agree to troops from Nato countries being stationed in Ukrainian territory “no matter what.”

The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian team and US negotiators continues to be the territorial question. One proposal involves Kyiv ceding the areas of the Donbas region it still holds, while Ukraine wants to maintain the current front lines. “We are discussing the territorial issue. As is known, it is one of the key issues. Currently, there is no consensus on it yet,” the president said following the Berlin discussions.

The US negotiation team, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a compromise solution. This framework would see Ukraine withdraw, but Russian troops would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Moscow has indicated it could use internal security formations rather than the military in such an area, suggesting it would still expect to maintain authority there.

“I want to stress once again: a ‘special economic zone’ does not mean under the control of Moscow. Not legally or in practice do we accept the Donbas region – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Absolutely,” stated President Zelenskyy.

Next Steps and Possible Scenarios

It is not clear how Moscow and Kyiv will proceed on the land question. Zelenskyy has previously suggested that a compromise solution such as a special economic area might be theoretically possible if the Ukrainian people approved it in a referendum. The critical stumbling block is likely to be when the plans are put to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has shown no indication he is prepared to concede on his war aims.

“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will end up with precisely the situation we are experiencing on our plane 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 additional armaments if they reject the deal. In my view, that would be a reasonable expectation from Ukraine to the Americans,” he added.