The United States has offered Ukraine security guarantees similar to those provided for in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty at the talks in Berlin, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing American officials.
The newspaper notes that in this way Washington is trying to “break the impasse“ that has developed in the negotiations. The draft document was prepared by the military of the United States, European countries and Ukraine.
According to the newspaper, the administration of Donald Trump hopes to conclude a deal by the end of the year, but Ukrainian and European representatives are skeptical about the possibility of reaching an agreement so quickly.
At the same time, there is an "even more serious obstacle" to a peace agreement: the territorial issue, the newspaper writes.
According to Reuters, citing a source, the United States told Ukraine during the talks in Berlin that any ceasefire agreement must include the withdrawal of troops from Donbas. A second source acknowledged that significant obstacles still need to be overcome to reach an agreement on the territories.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the issue of territorial concessions “painful“.
“Honestly, we still have different positions,“ he said. However, Zelensky expressed confidence that Washington would help find a compromise.
The talks in Berlin managed to resolve 90% of the issues within the framework of the peace process, “but there are still some issues that need to be resolved“, Reuters and The Independent reported, citing a US official.
According to the statement of the European leaders, the guarantees for Ukraine include:
- maintaining the peacetime strength of Ukrainian troops at 800,000;
- the formation of a “multinational force of Ukraine“, led by Europe and supported by the United States;
- the restoration of the Ukrainian armed forces, ensuring the security of Ukrainian airspace and maintaining maritime security, including through operations on Ukrainian territory“;
- a mechanism for monitoring and verifying the ceasefire led by the United States, with the participation of the international community;
- taking measures to restore peace and security in the event of a future armed attack, which may include the use of armed force, intelligence and logistical assistance, as well as economic and diplomatic action;
- investing in the future prosperity of Ukraine;
- supporting Ukraine's accession to the EU.