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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that proposals for a ceasefire agreement developed with US officials are poised to be completed in a matter of days. Afterward, American envoys will present the documentation to the Kremlin.

Negotiations in Berlin Produce Significant Progress, But Key Hurdles 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. Despite this optimistic assessment, an actual conclusion to the conflict is not guaranteed, particularly because the Russian lack of participation from the ongoing discussions.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that the American legislature was anticipated to vote on security guarantees and that a finalised set of agreements might be ready “today or tomorrow.” He added that, the United States would hold consultations with Russian representatives, potentially followed by high-level meetings as soon as this weekend.

Defense Assurances and International Support

“The plan involves five key agreements. Some of them concern security guarantees: formally ratified, that is, approved and approved by the US Congress,” Zelenskyy remarked to the press. He clarified that these assurances would “mirror article 5” of the Nato alliance.

On Monday, US officials declined to give precise information regarding the likely contents of the defense package or the consequences if Moscow sought to capture more land following an agreement. Officials did confirm that the U.S. has no plans to deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Heads of state from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and eight other European countries issued a joint statement that forces belonging to a “allied coalition” could “assist in the rebuilding of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukrainian airspace, and in ensuring safer seas, potentially by conducting operations within Ukraine.”

However, they did not proposing these measures would serve as guarantees equivalent to Nato’s article 5. In any case, there is scant indication that Russia is anywhere close to accepting the type of package being negotiated between Washington and Kyiv.

Kremlin Response and Territorial Dispute

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it had not seen the specifics of the proposals on security assurances. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, asserted that the country would not agree to troops from Nato countries operating in Ukraine “no matter what.”

The main sticking point between the Ukrainian team and their American counterparts remains the issue of land. One proposal centers on Kyiv relinquishing the parts of the Donbas region it currently controls, while the Ukrainian side prefers to freeze the lines. “We are discussing the territorial issue. As is known, it is a central problem. At this point, there is no consensus on it yet,” the president remarked after the Berlin talks.

American mediators, headed by two senior advisors, has proposed a compromise solution. Under this plan would see Ukraine pull back, but Russian troops would not advance, with the demilitarised area established as “a free economic zone.” Moscow has indicated it could use internal security formations rather than the army in such an area, implying it would still expect to control the territory.

“I want to stress once again: a ‘special 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,” stated Zelenskyy.

Path Forward and Possible Scenarios

The way ahead is uncertain how Moscow and Kyiv will proceed on the land question. Zelenskyy has previously suggested that a compromise solution like a special economic area could be conceivable if the Ukrainian people voted for it in a national vote. The critical stumbling block is likely to be when the proposals are put to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who has given no sign he is prepared to concede on his military objectives.

“If Putin rejects everything, we will end up with precisely the situation we are experiencing on our flight right now – turbulence,” said Zelenskyy, recording the comments as his aircraft took off from Berlin.

“I am confident the United States will apply sanctions pressure and supply more weapons if they reject the deal. I think, that would be a reasonable expectation from us to the United States,” he added.