Thus far, Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin advisers have been quite clear: Either Russia gets what it wants, or the war continues.
Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump met with his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Florida.
The summit resulted in progress in the ongoing peace negotiations to end the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine.
However, the issues of security guarantees and territory swaps still require some work.
Is Progress Being Made Toward Peace in Ukraine?
“We had a terrific meeting. We discussed a lot of things. As you know, I had an excellent phone call with President Putin that lasted for over two hours. We discussed a lot of points, and I do think we’re getting a lot closer,” Trump said.
The US president added that the “95%” of the issues preventing a peace settlement have been solved.
The US president also highlighted the achievements of the Ukrainian soldiers, saying that they “have been very brave” and they have “fought very hard, and continue to fight very hard and do tremendous damage.”
Following his meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Trump also had calls with European leaders to share his plans for the peace negotiations. He said that those calls went well.
Ukraine’s European partners, specifically the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, have been insisting that Ukraine gets a fair deal and have shown a determination to support Kyiv even without the support of the United States. Thus, ensuring that the Europeans are on board is an important condition for any successful peace proposal.
“We have a great achievements, a 20-point peace plan, 90% agreed, and U.S.-Ukraine security guarantees, 100% agreed. The U.S.-Europe-Ukraine security guarantees almost agreed. Military dimension, 100% agreed. Prosperity plan is being finalized, and we also discussed the sequencing of the following actions. And we agree that security guarantees is the key milestone in achieving lasting peace, and our teams will continue working on all aspects,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian government has asked Trump for security guarantees that could go far into the future, even for half a century.
Besides the issue of security guarantees, the territorial question is another important aspect of a successful peace negotiation. The Donbas region, particularly, is at the forefront of the discussions. Russia wants the industrial heart of Ukraine for its own and has been focusing most of its military resources there.
“Well, I think the land you’re talking about, some of that land has been taken. Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months, and are you better off making a deal now,” Trump said about the territorial issue.
But Ukraine seems committed to protecting its territorial integrity.
“As for a withdrawal from Donbas, it is no secret that Russia wants this. In their fantasies, they would like us not to exist on the territory of our own country at all. These fantasies have been around for years. But we have our own land, our own territorial integrity, our own state, and our own interests,” Zelenskyy said in a subsequent post on X.
How Russia Could Torpedo the Peace Talks
Despite the evident progress in the peace discussion among Ukraine, the US, NATO, and the Europeans, any successful peace settlement hinges on Russia’s agreement.
Thus far, Putin and his Kremlin advisers have been quite clear: Either Russia gets what it wants, or the war continues.
However, if Ukraine and its Western partners reach a solution but Russia keeps turning it down, that could backfire for Moscow and result in increased military support for Ukraine.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.com / Joshua Sukoff
