While details are not finalized and required Senate approval, U.S. officials expressed confidence that Russia might accept these new terms.
WASHINGTON—Substantial progress was made over the weekend in peace talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, senior U.S. officials said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in a call, the officials said that the talks resulted in the strongest possible package, including significant progress on “robust” security guarantees for Ukraine, similar to NATO’s Article 5 protections.
These guarantees are designed to deter future Russian incursions and “punish further” territorial violations by Moscow.
While final details are pending and the plan requires Senate approval, officials expressed confidence that Russia may accept these terms, and has appeared to also please Ukrainian negotiators.
“What’s on the table is really the platinum standard for what can be offered,” a U.S. official said during the call. “It would have to go before the Senate, and President [Donald] Trump is willing to do that.”
Over the past weekend, U.S. negotiators—special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law—spent 2.5 days in Europe engaging with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his delegation, and several European leaders, including national security advisers, foreign ministers, and some heads of state.
This included eight hours of direct discussions with Zelenskyy himself, the officials said.
“Giving this NATO-like Article Five guarantee is something that President Trump believes he can get Russia to accept,” one official said.
He added that ending the war is a strategic priority for Trump, as he believes the peace could bring many benefits to the United States.
On territorial issues, differences remain. Talks over the weekend, however, have narrowed gaps, with some issues resolved and multiple potential solutions identified to bridge remaining gaps, the officials said.
The U.S. team emphasized that Trump will not pressure Ukraine to cede territory, leaving decisions about what is next to Zelenskyy.
Other key elements include Russia’s potential acceptance of Ukraine’s path to European Union membership and a “prosperity package” involving the World Bank and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to support Ukraine’s economic recovery.
This is developing news and will be updated.
By Emel Akan
