Diplomatic Plans Set to be Delivered to Moscow Within Days, Says Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that proposals for a peace deal negotiated with US officials are poised to be completed in a matter of days. Afterward, U.S. representatives will submit the documentation to the Kremlin.
Berlin Talks Yield Major Headway, But Key Hurdles Persist
Following extensive talks in Berlin, US officials reported 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 war is not guaranteed, particularly because the Russian absence from the ongoing discussions.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the Ukrainian president noted that the US Congress was anticipated to vote on defense assurances and that a finalised set of documents could be prepared “imminently.” Subsequently, the United States would hold consultations with Russian representatives, leading to summit-level talks as soon as this weekend.
Defense Assurances and International Support
“The plan involves five key agreements. Some of them pertain to binding security pledges: legally binding, that is, approved and approved by the US 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, US officials declined to give specific details regarding the likely contents of the security 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 place boots on the ground in Ukraine.
Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and eight other European nations issued a joint statement that forces belonging to a “coalition of the willing” could “help with the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in protecting Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, potentially by conducting operations within Ukraine.”
They stopped short, however, of proposing these measures would constitute guarantees 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.
Moscow's Stance and Territorial Dispute
On Tuesday, the Russian government stated it had not seen the specifics of the proposals on security assurances. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would never accept troops from NATO member states operating in Ukraine “under any circumstances.”
The main sticking point between the Ukrainian negotiators and US negotiators remains the issue of land. One proposal involves Kyiv ceding the parts of the Donbas region it still holds, while Ukraine prefers to maintain the current front 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 after the Berlin talks.
American mediators, led by two senior advisors, has suggested a middle-ground proposal. Under this plan would see Ukraine withdraw, but Russia would not advance, with the resulting zone established as “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 expect to maintain authority there.
“I want to stress once again: a ‘free economic zone’ does not mean controlled by Russia. Not legally or in practice do we accept Donbas – its temporarily occupied part – as Russian. Absolutely,” stated President Zelenskyy.
Path Forward and Possible Scenarios
It is not clear how the two sides will proceed on the land question. Zelenskyy has previously suggested that a negotiated arrangement like 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 proposals are presented to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has shown no indication he is willing to compromise on his military objectives.
“Should Russia refuse all proposals, we will face precisely the situation we are experiencing on our plane right now – turbulence,” commented Zelenskyy, recording the comments as his aircraft departed from Berlin.
“I believe the United States will apply sanctions pressure and supply more weapons if he rejects everything. I think, that would be a fair request from us to the United States,” he added.
