 "US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, DC. Reuters file image")
US President Donald Trump has said that the end of the Russia-Ukraine war is closer than ever after officials said that beefed-up security guarantees for Kyiv had progressed the peace talks.
“I think we’re closer now than we have been, ever, and we’ll see what we can do,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office.
The US assessment followed two days of talks in Berlin, involving officials from Europe, Ukraine, and the United States. Trump was represented by his foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The US President called during a dinner between Witkoff and Kushner and the European officials in Berlin on Monday. After his discussions with his representatives, Trump said, “Things are seemingly going well, but we’ve been saying that for a long time, and it’s a difficult one.”
Trump described the conversations as “very good”, adding that he also had a “long talk” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also said that he has been in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Where do the peace talks stand now?
About 90 per cent of the issues between Russia and Ukraine have been resolved, a US official told CNN, noting that territorial concessions remain a key sticking point. The official added that the US side had put forward “thought-provoking” proposals to help break the deadlock, including the creation of an “economic free zone.”
Officials said a package of “Article 5”-like security guarantees was refined in greater detail during the talks, aimed at deterring further Russian aggression, establishing deconfliction mechanisms, and monitoring any eventual peace agreement.
“This is the most robust set of security protocols they have ever seen. It is a very, very strong package,” the official said.
What has Zelenskyy said?
Zelenskyy said earlier that talks with Trump’s envoys were “not easy” but brought “progress” on the question of security guarantees.
He hailed new security guarantees offered by Washington but also said differences remained on the question of what territories Ukraine would have to cede to Russia.
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View All“There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions,” Zelensky told reporters.
With inputs from agencies