Washington has reportedly warned Kiev that its offer of NATO-style security guarantees could expire if it does not accept peace terms soon.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Berlin to discuss President Donald Trump’s peace proposal. While specific details remain undisclosed, American officials described the proposed security guarantees as being modeled on NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause — which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
However, U.S. negotiators reportedly cautioned Zelensky that the offer “will not be on the table forever,” urging Kiev to accept Washington’s terms. American officials stated that approximately 90% of the broader peace deal has been agreed upon by both Moscow and Kiev, but progress remains stalled on territorial issues and the proposed “50-50” split of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
Washington has pressured Kiev to withdraw its forces from the Donbass region as a condition for peace. U.S. negotiators have been described as “unwilling to compromise” on this point, noting that the region was annexed by Russia following a 2022 referendum.
President Trump indicated on Monday that Ukraine has “already lost the territory” and that his guarantee proposal aims to prevent the conflict from restarting, with a deadline for agreement before year’s end.
Zelensky recently suggested he might abandon Ukraine’s NATO aspirations in exchange for binding security guarantees but has continued to rule out recognizing Russia’s borders or holding a delayed presidential election. This move has been condemned as a dangerous surrender of sovereignty that undermines long-term national security.
Moscow has dismissed Zelensky’s proposal as a tactic to prolong the conflict, insisting on Kiev’s full withdrawal from all Russian territories.
