KYIV, Ukraine (AP)- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports that the proposals now under consideration with officials of the United States for a settlement regarding the fighting in Russia’s almost 4-year invasion of Ukraine may be finalized in a matter of days, following which these proposals would be presented to officials in the Kremlin before further meetings in the United States are possible next weekend.
A peace plan draft was discussed with the US during a meeting in Berlin on Monday, which is “not perfect” but is certainly “very workable,” according to a statement from Mr. Zelenskyy just hours after the meeting. However, some points, such as the situation in the territory occupied by Russian forces in Ukraine, have still not been addressed.
International peace talks led by the U.S. appear to be gaining traction. However, as the focus shifts to Russia now, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have some issues with some of the deals reached by officials in Washington, Kyiv, as well as Western Europe regarding security in Ukraine after the war.
“A European-led multinational and multidomain force will lead efforts to augment the troops there and protect the region from the land, sea, and air, and the U.S. will lead the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism,” the official stated.
“We again confirm that our position has always been to reach a comprehensive peace agreement, and not just to agree on a truce in this situation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pes
“And if Ukraine is looking for momentary, unsustainable solutions, we are unlikely to be ready to participate.”
“We want peace, we don’t want a truce that would give Ukraine a respite and prepare for the continuation of the war,” Zelenskyy told journalists. “We want to stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, and guarantee peace in Europe for the future.”
“There is a consensus between Ukraine and the EU on about 90% of the U.S.-written peace agreement,” said officials of the U.S., adding that U.S. President Donald Trump “thinks that the U.S. and the EU are closer than ever to a peace settlement.”
Many dangers are still ahead, especially with regard to land.
“Zelenskyy again stressed that the government of Kyiv does not consider recognizing the authority of Moscow over the territory of the Donbas region,” the BSP reports. The Donbas region is a region of economic importance in Eastern Ukraine. It consists of the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. It does not entirely fall under the Russian army’s control. But Trump earlier stated that Ukraine still needs to cede territory.
“But the Americans are now trying to reach a compromise,” Zelenskyy said en route to a visit to the Netherlands on Tuesday. “They propose a ‘free economic zone’ in the Donbas region. And once again, I emphasize that a “free economic zone” does not mean the control of the Russian Federation over this territory.”
“Putin is demanding that all areas within these four important regions that his forces have occupied, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Ukraine’s former Russian ruler illegally annexed in 2014, should be regarded as Russian territory.”
Zelenskyy stated that if Putin does not cooperate with foreign diplomats, Ukraine will face pressure from Western countries in the form of sanctions and military assistance in terms of air defense and long-range weapons.
“What is pushing the Kyiv authorities in the negotiations is that the Russian side should be held accountable for what it has been doing, for the war, for the murders, for the suffering,” Zelenskyy told the BBC. The documents being prepared by Ukraine and the US may range between three and five, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Many of these documents are security oriented. He was quite optimistic about the progress made in the Berlin talks. “In general, there was an exhibition of unity,” Zelenskyy continued. “It was really a positive display in terms of the unity of the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine.”
