Diplomatic Proposals Ready for Delivered to Moscow 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. Following this, U.S. representatives will present the documentation to the Kremlin.

Berlin Talks Yield Major Headway, With Critical Obstacles Persist

Following extensive talks in Berlin, American negotiators indicated on Monday that around “90%” of the disputed points between Russia and Ukraine had been settled. Although the outlook appears positive, the path to ending the war remains uncertain, especially given Russia's absence from the current dialogue.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Zelenskyy noted that the American legislature is expected to consider defense assurances and that a finalised set of agreements could be prepared “imminently.” He added that, the United States would engage in discussions with Moscow, leading to high-level meetings as soon as this coming weekend.

Defense Assurances and Allied Backing

“We are counting on five documents. Some of them concern security guarantees: legally binding, that is, voted on and endorsed by the US Congress,” the president remarked to journalists. He stated that these assurances would “mirror article 5” of the Nato alliance.

Earlier, American representatives declined to give specific details regarding the likely contents of the security package or what would happen if Moscow sought to capture more land following an agreement. Officials did confirm that the U.S. does not intend to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Heads of state from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and eight other European countries said in a unified declaration that forces belonging to a “allied coalition” could “assist in the regeneration of Ukrainian military capabilities, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in ensuring safer seas, including through operating inside its territory.”

However, they did not proposing these measures would serve as assurances matching 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.

Kremlin Response and Land Issue

On Tuesday, the Kremlin stated it had not seen the details of the plans for security assurances. Additionally, a senior Russian diplomat, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would not agree to troops from NATO member states being stationed in Ukraine “no matter what.”

The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators remains the territorial question. A key demand centers on Ukraine relinquishing the areas of the Donbas region it currently controls, while Ukraine prefers to freeze the lines. “We are discussing the land dispute. As is known, it is one of the key issues. At this point, there is no consensus on it yet,” Zelenskyy said following the Berlin discussions.

American mediators, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a middle-ground proposal. This framework would see Ukraine withdraw, but Russian troops would not move forward, with the resulting zone becoming “a free economic zone.” Moscow has suggested it could use internal security units rather than the military in such an area, implying it would still seek to control the territory.

“Let me reiterate: a ‘free economic zone’ is not under the control of Moscow. Neither de jure nor de facto do we accept Donbas – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Categorically,” said Zelenskyy.

Path Forward and Possible Scenarios

It is not clear how Moscow and Kyiv will proceed on the territorial issue. The Ukrainian leader has previously suggested that a negotiated arrangement such as a special economic area could be conceivable if the citizens of Ukraine voted for it in a national vote. The critical stumbling block is likely to be when the plans are presented 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 face precisely the situation we are encountering on our plane right now – instability,” said the president, recording the comments as his aircraft departed from Berlin.

“I am confident the United States will increase sanction pressure and supply more weapons if they reject the deal. I think, that would be a fair request from Ukraine to the United States,” he added.