In Kyiv, Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that negotiations with U.S. officials over a peace agreement to end the ongoing conflict with Russia could reach a conclusion within days. Following this, American representatives are expected to present the proposed deal to the Kremlin, with potential follow-up discussions in the United States slated for next weekend.
During a late Monday press briefing, Zelenskyy revealed that the peace plan draft, discussed with U.S. envoys in Berlin earlier that day, is “very workable.” However, he noted that critical issues, such as the status of Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russian forces, remain unresolved.
Efforts led by the U.S. to forge peace are gaining traction. Nevertheless, Russian President Vladimir Putin might resist certain proposals developed by officials from Washington, Kyiv, and Western Europe, particularly those involving post-conflict security assurances for Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s demand for a comprehensive peace agreement, rather than a temporary ceasefire.
Peskov stated, “If Ukraine is seeking fleeting, unsustainable solutions, we are unlikely to participate.”
He further emphasized, “Our goal is to end this conflict, fulfill our objectives, protect our interests, and ensure lasting peace in Europe, not merely a truce that allows Ukraine time to regroup for future hostilities.”
American officials on Monday said that there’s consensus from Ukraine and Europe on about 90% of the U.S.-authored peace plan. U.S. President Donald Trump said: “I think we’re closer now than we have been, ever” to a peace settlement.
Plenty of potential pitfalls remain, however.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv rules out recognizing Moscow’s control over any part of the Donbas, an economically important region in eastern Ukraine made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. Russia’s army doesn’t fully control either.
“The Americans are trying to find a compromise,” Zelenskyy said, before visiting the Netherlands on Tuesday. “They are proposing a ‘free economic zone’ (in the Donbas). And I want to stress once again: a ‘free economic zone’ does not mean under the control of the Russian Federation.”
The land issue remains one of the most difficult obstacles to a comprehensive agreement.
Putin wants all the areas in four key regions that his forces have seized, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, to be recognized as Russian territory.
Zelenskyy warned that if Putin rejects diplomatic efforts, Ukraine expects increased Western pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and additional military support for defense. Kyiv would seek enhanced air defense systems and long-range weapons if diplomacy collapses, he said.
Ukraine and the U.S. are preparing up to five documents related to the peace framework, several of them focused on security, Zelenskyy said.
He was upbeat about the progress in the Berlin talks.
“Overall, there was a demonstration of unity,” Zelenskyy said. “It was truly positive in the sense that it reflected the unity of the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine.”
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