Diplomatic Proposals Set to be Presented to Russia In the Coming Days, Says Ukraine's President
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that a framework for a peace deal developed with American diplomats could be finalised in a matter of days. Following this, U.S. representatives will present the documentation to the Kremlin.
Berlin Talks Yield Significant Progress, With Critical Obstacles Remain
Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials indicated on Monday that around “90%” of the contentious issues between Russia and Ukraine had been resolved. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the conflict is not guaranteed, particularly because Russia's 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 agreements might be ready “imminently.” He added that, the United States would hold consultations with Russian representatives, leading to summit-level talks possibly this weekend.
Defense Assurances and International Support
“The plan involves five documents. Some of them concern binding security pledges: formally ratified, that is, voted on and endorsed by the United States Congress,” the president commented to journalists. He stated that these assurances would “reflect the collective defense clause” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Earlier, American representatives declined to give specific details regarding the probable makeup of the security package or the consequences if Moscow sought to capture more land after a peace deal. Officials did confirm that the United States does not intend to deploy troops on the ground in the country.
Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and eight other European nations said in a unified declaration that forces belonging to a “allied coalition” could “help with the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukrainian airspace, and in supporting maritime security, potentially by operating inside Ukraine.”
They stopped short, however, of proposing these actions would serve as assurances matching Nato’s article 5. Furthermore, there is scant indication that Russia is anywhere close to accepting the type of package being negotiated between the U.S. and Ukraine.
Kremlin Response and Land Issue
On Tuesday, the Russian government stated it had not received the details 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 Ukraine “under any circumstances.”
The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators remains the issue of land. A key demand centers on Kyiv ceding the parts of the Donbas region it currently controls, while Ukraine wants to maintain the current front lines. “We are discussing the land dispute. You know, it is a central problem. At this point, there is no agreement on it yet,” Zelenskyy said after the Berlin talks.
American mediators, headed by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a compromise solution. Under this plan would see Ukrainian forces withdraw, but Russian troops would not advance, with the resulting zone established as “a free economic zone.” Russia has suggested it could use police and national guard units instead of the army in such an area, implying it would still seek to maintain authority there.
“I want to stress once again: a ‘special economic zone’ does not mean controlled by Moscow. Not legally or in practice do we accept Donbas – its currently occupied areas – as Russian. Absolutely,” stated President Zelenskyy.
Path Forward and Potential Outcomes
It is not clear how Moscow and Kyiv will resolve the territorial issue. The Ukrainian leader has earlier mentioned that a compromise solution such as a special economic area might be conceivable if the Ukrainian people voted for it in a referendum. The major impediment is likely to be when the proposals are presented to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has given no sign he is willing to compromise on his war aims.
“If Putin rejects everything, we will end up with exactly what we are encountering on our plane right now – turbulence,” said Zelenskyy, recording the comments after his plane took off from Berlin.
“I believe the United States will apply sanctions pressure and provide us with additional armaments if he rejects everything. I think, that would be a reasonable expectation from Ukraine to the Americans,” he added.
