After two days of intense talks in Berlin, Europeans and Americans say they essentially agree to offer Ukraine security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5 and a European-led multinational force to operate inside Ukraine.
– We have seen in recent days a strong diplomatic drive, perhaps the strongest since the start of the war, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a press conference together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Politico reports.
But the enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that perhaps the most difficult question of all – which territories Ukraine might have to cede to Russia – still lacks a solution. And Russia, which did not participate in the Berlin meeting, has not yet accepted any part of the proposals.
Historical support from the United States
What was described as a breakthrough was that US President Donald Trump, through his emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, offered Ukraine security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5. It is the clause that states that an attack on one NATO country should be considered an attack on all.
– It is important that the US considers guarantees similar to Article 5. There is progress there, said Zelensky.
Merz called the US commitments “remarkable” and said it was the first time since 2022 that a ceasefire “is conceivable”.
But U.S. officials also warned that the offer won’t be on the table forever.
– These guarantees will not be on the table forever. They are there now if an agreement is reached in a good way, a senior US official told reporters, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Multinational force to operate in Ukraine
In a joint statement after Monday’s meeting, European leaders, including Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, described a six-point plan for how Ukraine should be protected.
A central part is a European-led multinational force that will consist of contributions from willing countries and have support from the United States. The force will help build up Ukraine’s armed forces, secure the country’s airspace and contribute to safer waters “including by operating inside Ukraine,” the statement said.
In parallel, the United States will lead a mechanism for monitoring and verifying the ceasefire, which will provide early warning of future attacks and react to possible violations of the agreement.
The leaders also pledged to provide continued and significant support to Ukraine to build up the country’s defense forces, which in peacetime should amount to 800,000 soldiers to deter and defend against new attacks.
In addition, they pledged a legally binding commitment to take measures to restore peace and security in the event of a future armed attack. These measures may include the use of armed force, intelligence and logistics support, and economic and diplomatic efforts.
“Different positions” on territories
But despite the progress on the security issue, both Zelenskyj and Merz admitted that the parties still have “different positions” regarding territories.
The United States has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from the parts of the Donetsk region it still controls, according to US officials who spoke to the Reuters news agency. Russia already controls about 80 percent of the region.
– We have had enough dialogue about territory and we have quite frankly different opinions, Zelenskyy said at the press conference.
The European leaders emphasized in their statement that decisions on territories are for the Ukrainian people to make, and only when robust security guarantees are truly in place.
“We were clear that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and that all parties must work intensively for a solution that can ensure a lasting end to the fighting,” the statement said.
von der Leyen: Step by step towards peace
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after her meeting with Merz that she saw “real and concrete progress”.
– This is possible thanks to the coordination between Ukraine, Europe and the USA. So we will continue to work closely with President Zelensky and President Trump to achieve what we all want: a just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and strengthens its security, von der Leyen said.
She emphasized that the work is done step by step. First, a lasting ceasefire must be put in place, and to get there, Russia must feel continued pressure to come to the negotiating table.
“For this, Europe will continue to raise the cost of Russia’s war. We have a new sanctions package in preparation. And we have frozen Russian assets in the EU for the long term,” von der Leyen said.
She also raised the issue of Ukraine joining the EU.
– One of the strongest long-term guarantees is also the clearest. It is Ukraine’s way into the European Union, von der Leyen said.
Russia: “On the verge” of agreement – but sticks to demands
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with ABC News on Monday that Russia and Ukraine are “on the verge” of a diplomatic solution.
– We are ready to reach an agreement, Ryabkov said, adding that he hoped an agreement could be reached “sooner than later”.
But he also reiterated Moscow’s long-standing demands for control of Crimea and the four partially occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson – demands that Ukraine has consistently rejected.
– We have five in total and we cannot, in any way, compromise on this, said Ryabkov.
He was also clear that Russia does not accept any presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory, regardless of whether they are included in security guarantees or in a so-called “coalition of the willing”.
– We will definitely not at any time agree to any presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory, he said.
Trump: “Closer now than ever”
US President Donald Trump said after calling into dinner tonight in Berlin that he believes a peace deal is now closer than ever.
– I think we are closer now than we have ever been, Trump told reporters in the White House, according to the AP.
He added that he had had “very good and long talks” with Zelenskyi and European leaders, and that he had also had “several talks” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
US officials told reporters that about 90 percent of the issues between Ukraine and Russia were now resolved, but acknowledged that territory and sovereignty still needed to be resolved by the parties themselves.
Kristersson: Many difficult questions remain
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who participated in tonight’s meeting in Berlin, called the meeting “constructive” and said that it was good that Ukraine, the United States and Europe “for the first time in a long time” sat down together and discussed opportunities and problems in a peace agreement, writes TT/GP.
But he emphasized that many issues remain to be resolved.
– Not least about territories and whether Russia wants peace at all. But now there is a momentum that is important, and we will continue the intensive work in the coming days, Kristersson said in a comment.
He added that the issue of security guarantees had become “clearer and more credible” during tonight’s meeting.
– That in itself is an important step towards sustainable peace, Kristersson said.
EU summit hopes to resolve the funding issue
Parallel to the security issues, there is an intense tug of war within the EU about how the Union should finance Ukraine’s needs for 2026 and 2027. At a summit on Thursday, the 27 heads of state and government will try to decide on a comprehensive so-called repair loan.
The proposal means that the EU will use frozen Russian assets as collateral for the loan. But Belgium, where the bulk of the frozen assets are kept, has opposed the plan and called for alternative solutions. During the weekend, Italy, Bulgaria and Malta also joined Belgium’s demand for alternatives.
German Chancellor Merz warned that if the EU fails to agree, the union’s “ability to act will be seriously damaged for years”.
