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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stated that proposals for a ceasefire agreement negotiated with American diplomats could be completed in a matter of days. Following this, American envoys are expected to submit the terms to the Russian leadership.

Berlin Talks Yield Major Headway, With Critical Obstacles Remain

Following extensive talks in Berlin, American negotiators reported on Monday that approximately “90%” of the disputed points between Russia and Ukraine had been resolved. Despite this optimistic assessment, the path to ending the conflict remains uncertain, particularly because the Russian absence from the current dialogue.

Early Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy said that the American legislature is expected to consider defense assurances and that a finalised set of documents could be prepared “imminently.” Subsequently, the U.S. would hold consultations with Moscow, leading to high-level meetings possibly this weekend.

Security Guarantees and Allied Backing

“We are counting on five documents. Some of them pertain to binding security pledges: formally ratified, that is, approved and approved by the United States Congress,” Zelenskyy commented to the press. He clarified that these guarantees would “mirror the collective defense clause” 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 more land following an agreement. They did, however, 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 several additional European countries said in a unified declaration that troops from a “coalition of the willing” could “assist in the regeneration of Ukrainian military capabilities, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in ensuring maritime security, potentially by conducting operations within its territory.”

However, they did not suggesting these measures would constitute guarantees matching NATO's Article 5. In any case, there is little sign that Russia is near accepting the kind of arrangement being negotiated between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Moscow's Stance and Territorial Dispute

The following day, 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 not agree to forces of Nato countries operating in Ukrainian territory “under any circumstances.”

The primary obstacle between the Ukrainian team and US negotiators remains the issue of land. A key demand involves Ukraine ceding the areas of the Donbas it still holds, while the Ukrainian side wants to maintain the current front lines. “Talks continue on the land dispute. You know, it is a central problem. Currently, there is no consensus on it yet,” Zelenskyy said following the Berlin discussions.

The US negotiation team, headed by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has proposed a middle-ground proposal. Under this plan would see Ukraine withdraw, but Russian troops would not move forward, with the demilitarised area becoming “an open economic area.” Moscow has suggested it could use internal security units instead of the military in such an area, implying it would still expect to maintain authority there.

“I want to stress once again: a ‘free economic zone’ is not under the control of Russia. Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognise the Donbas region – its temporarily occupied part – as belonging to Russia. 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 previously suggested that a compromise solution such as a special economic area might be theoretically possible if the citizens of Ukraine approved it in a national vote. The critical stumbling block is expected to arise when the plans are presented to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has given no sign he is willing to compromise on his war aims.

“If Putin rejects everything, we will face exactly what we are encountering on our plane right now – instability,” commented Zelenskyy, making the statement as his aircraft took off from Berlin.

“I believe the United States will increase sanction pressure and supply additional armaments if they reject the deal. I think, that would be a fair request from us to the United States,” he concluded.