Following high-level talks, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that the United States has presented a proposed peace plan featuring defense assurances for Ukraine covering a period of 15 years.
The Framework's Specifics
The Ukrainian leader stated that in the course of significant talks with American leader Donald Trump, he had requested security guarantees for up to 50 years. Yet, the current draft foresees a reduced assurance of one and a half decades from Washington.
The specifics remain undefined what these guarantees would assume, but the Ukrainian leader has been insisting on "defense pledges similar to NATO's Article 5, inspired by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's founding principle that aggression towards any member is considered an act of war against every member.
Negotiation Developments
The President stated, Washington's protection assurances for his country under the updated peace plan outline have been fully agreed upon, whereas Trump was more cautious, suggesting the progress was more like 95%.
Each statesman affirmed that progress had been made during the discussions in Mar-a-Lago. Trump, however, cautioned that there were several difficult unresolved matters, particularly regarding territorial disputes.
Prerequisites for Engagement
Separately, the Ukrainian President stated to journalists that a direct engagement with Moscow would be possible following the Washington and its European partners agreed on a settlement proposal from Ukraine to end the war.
This remark comes after the US President remarked to reporters that he believed a meeting involving three parties between Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington could happen "at the right time".
Background of Engagements
Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin have not held direct talks since December 2019. Their last meeting, brokered by the French and German heads of state, was intended to renew efforts to end the protracted hostilities.
In a later instance, in the spring of 2025, the Russian president declined to go to Istanbul for negotiations with his Ukrainian counterpart, dismissing a face-to-face meeting suggestion to talk about ending the war in Istanbul.
Key Sticking Points
A key point of contention remains the disposition of the Donbas territory. President Trump stated that a plan to turn the territory, which is mostly under Russian control, into a demilitarised zone is still not settled.
Trump further commented that it will become clear in the coming weeks if the hostilities can cease.
Both sides have emphasized that the lengthy peace talks would continue as they work towards a lasting peace to the multi-year hostilities.
