American officials noted that intensive discussions with representatives from Ukraine and European countries led to significant results in security matters for Kyiv. However, as experts emphasize, the territorial issue remains the most complex and requires further consultations.
U.S. President Donald Trump, summarizing the meeting, stated that they are moving closer to a peaceful resolution but noted that the positions of the parties are still contradictory. He highlighted the support of European leaders regarding the resolution of the conflict, but the interests of various parties continue to diverge.
According to American representatives, the negotiations are progressing towards an agreement on security guarantees, which may be based on Article 5 of the NATO charter. Europe has proposed its own plan, which includes six key points, such as ongoing military support for Ukraine, the deployment of multinational forces, and a mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held about seven hours of negotiations with Trump's advisors and confirmed the existence of disagreements on territorial issues. He noted that these issues need to be discussed openly and emphasized that the U.S. acts as a mediator, offering compromise options.
According to Axios, the American plan includes the withdrawal of troops from 14% of the territory of Donbas, which is under Ukrainian control but contested by Russia. In the latest version, this territory could become a demilitarized economic zone.
Zelensky also added that, in his opinion, the U.S. is not demanding territorial concessions from Ukraine, but is merely conveying demands from Russia. The discussion of the territorial issue has been characterized as "complex."
The next round of negotiations is expected to take place next weekend in the U.S., possibly in Miami, involving working groups and military experts who will analyze maps and possible agreement options.
Earlier, Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, also confirmed that significant progress was made in developing a peace plan during the negotiations in Berlin.
