Will there be a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, what guarantees for Ukraine's security can be given, will there be a renunciation of territories to achieve peace: On which issues was progress made in Washington and on which - not.
Peace still seems like a distant prospect. But for the first time since the beginning of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine almost 3.5 years ago, a comprehensive negotiation process has been reached with the participation of all those involved, ARD notes.
The meeting in Alaska between Presidents Trump and Putin was followed by a meeting between Trump with Ukrainian President Zelensky and leading European politicians in Washington. What did it bring and what questions still remain open?
Will a meeting between Putin and Zelensky happen?
There are prospects for such a thing. The American president announced that he had begun preparations for a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky. According to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, this meeting should take place within the next two weeks. After that - according to Trump's plan - there should also be a trilateral meeting with his participation.
However, this plan is clearly not final. After Trump's phone call with Putin, the Kremlin has not said anything about a meeting at the presidential level. Putin has repeatedly stated that he is ready to meet with Zelensky, but he is setting a condition that some key controversial issues be clarified before that. Zelensky, in turn, said once again at the White House that he was ready to meet with Putin, including in the presence of Trump, without setting any preconditions.
What could Ukraine's security guarantees look like?
With so-called security guarantees, states or international organizations can give binding assurances to a country that they will guarantee its security and protect it from external threats. In the case of Ukraine, the potential for conflict lies primarily in the following two options, the German public media outlet points out.
Guarantees under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty: According to this article, if any country in the Alliance is attacked, it can count on the support of all allies and an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed in Washington that while Ukraine is not a full member of the Alliance, guarantees similar to Article 5 are being discussed. It remains to be clarified what exactly they should include. According to Zelensky, the security guarantees should be developed in the next ten days.
Peacekeeping units for Ukraine: Rutte, Merz and Trump did not say exactly what these units could look like. French President Macron mentioned “reserve forces at sea, in the air and on land”, which could be provided by Ukraine's allies. For Macron, one of the necessary security guarantees is a strong Ukrainian army that is able to resist any attack. Rutte stressed that after the conclusion of a peace agreement, Russia should never again try to conquer even one square kilometer of Ukrainian territory. However, the possibility of deploying US troops in Ukraine was not discussed, the NATO Secretary General said.
What is Moscow saying?
After his meeting with Trump in Alaska, Putin also mentioned guarantees for Ukraine's security, but without providing any specifics. The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated that Russia would not accept the presence of troops from NATO countries in Ukraine to guarantee peace after a ceasefire is reached. Moscow claims that in such a scenario there is a threat of escalation and turning the conflict into a global confrontation.
Will there be a ceasefire or not?
This is completely unclear, ARD summarizes. The statements made on the issue are very different. Trump initially wanted an immediate ceasefire, but after his meeting with Putin, he did not mention the issue at all.
Federal Chancellor Merz said: "I cannot imagine that the next meeting will take place without a ceasefire." Zelensky withdrew his previous request for a ceasefire because, as he himself stated, it is right for negotiations to be held without preconditions.
And what about the Ukrainian territories claimed by Russia?
Russia has consistently insisted that Ukraine must give up its territories in order to establish a ceasefire. The annexed Ukrainian regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson have been included in the Russian constitution as new regions since 2022. Moscow proposed in a memorandum that Ukrainian units withdraw completely from those parts of Lugansk and Donetsk regions that are not under the control of the Russian army - as a condition for a ceasefire. The Donetsk region contains the strategically important cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which Kiev holds and which it does not want to give up.
There is speculation that Russia may give up the parts it has occupied in the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions if it receives full control over Donetsk and Lugansk in return. The question of the future of Zaporizhia and Kherson is also open. More than 50 percent of them are under Russian control, but Kiev still has a say in the capitals of these regions.
Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that the Ukrainian constitution does not allow for the relinquishment of territories or land swaps. But he has also said that he wants to negotiate with Putin personally on territorial issues.
Are Europeans optimistic?
After the meeting of European representatives with Trump, a certain sense of relief could be felt, ARD commented. The media quoted Chancellor Merz as saying: “My expectations were not only met, but exceeded“. NATO Secretary General Rutte described the fact that Trump agreed to participate in the security guarantees as a big step. “This is truly a breakthrough.“
However, there are also more cautious assessments. Finnish President Alexander Stubb told CNN that Putin's main strategic goals have not changed - "He wants to disintegrate Ukraine and take away its sovereignty." French President Macron was more skeptical about the planned meeting between Putin and Zelensky. It could be progress, but the results are unpredictable, Macron said. "Do I think they can be definitive? I remain very cautious."