The United States has agreed to offer undisclosed security assurances to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement to conclude Russia’s nearly four-year conflict, with further discussions anticipated over the weekend, U.S. officials revealed on Monday after recent talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin.
According to the officials, negotiations involving U.S. President Donald Trump’s representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, led to narrowing gaps on security guarantees requested by Kyiv and Moscow’s insistence on Ukraine relinquishing territory in the Donbas region. Trump participated in a dinner meeting on Monday evening with negotiators and European leaders, with additional discussions set to take place in Miami or elsewhere in the U.S. this weekend, as per the officials, who spoke anonymously due to lack of authorization to comment publicly from the White House.
Trump expressed optimism, stating, “I think we’re closer now than we have been, ever,” adding that European leaders are strongly supportive of ending the conflict. The officials emphasized that the proposal for security assurances will not remain open indefinitely. The Trump administration aims to present the agreement on guarantees for Senate approval, though specifics on the ratification process were not outlined.
European leaders in Berlin issued a joint statement committing to collaborating with the U.S. to provide robust security assurances, including a European-led multinational force for Ukraine, endorsed by the U.S. This force would engage in operations within Ukraine, assist in rebuilding Ukrainian forces, secure its airspace, and support maritime safety. It was stipulated that Ukrainian forces should be maintained at a peacetime level of 800,000 troops.
Accompanying Witkoff and Kushner was U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, in charge of NATO’s military operations and the U.S. European Command. The talks focused on the details of what U.S. officials described as an “Article 5-like” security pact. The U.S. presented Ukrainian officials with a more detailed document outlining aspects of the proposed security assurances that were reportedly lacking in previous U.S. peace proposals.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz characterized the agreement as “comprehensive and significant,” noting the joint commitment of Europe and the U.S. in this regard.
Outstanding issues concerning Ukraine’s postwar security and the status of occupied territories continue to be key hurdles in the negotiations. Zelenskyy has stressed the necessity for Western security commitments to be legally binding and endorsed by the U.S. Congress. On the other hand, Russia has adamantly opposed any presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil.
Zelenskyy has indicated willingness to forgo Ukraine’s NATO aspirations if provided with security assurances similar to those offered to NATO members by the U.S. and other Western nations. However, Ukraine’s preference remains NATO membership as the most effective deterrent against further Russian aggression.
Negotiations have progressed on approximately 90% of the U.S.-drafted peace plan, with Russia signaling openness to Ukraine’s potential accession to the European Union, a departure from its earlier stance. Putin considers Ukraine’s NATO bid a significant threat to Moscow’s security and a key factor that led to the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine renounce its NATO membership bid as part of any prospective peace deal.
Regarding the timeline for a peace agreement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to speculate, emphasizing Putin’s commitment to genuine peace negotiations without delays or distractions.
In a separate development, the head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency accused Putin of prolonging negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and employing tactics that fall just below the threshold of war to test Western resolve. MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli highlighted Moscow’s sponsorship of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, drone activities near European airports, and other aggressive actions, warning that Russia aims to export chaos as a deliberate strategy.
Metreweli stressed the need for heightened vigilance and proactive measures to counter such threats, emphasizing that MI6 will adopt a strategic approach to outmaneuver adversaries without resorting to unethical tactics. Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton of the British military echoed similar sentiments, underlining the imperative for a robust military and enhanced infrastructure to address evolving security challenges posed by Russia’s aggressive posture in Ukraine.