Trump Announces Progress on Ukraine Peace Deal Following "Very Good Talks" with Zelensky and European Leaders

US President Donald Trump announced Monday that a potential agreement to end Russia's war in Ukraine is "closer than ever" following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders.

"I think we're closer now than we have been ever," Trump stated in the Oval Office, noting he had "very long and very good talks" with Zelensky and other key leaders including those from Britain, France, Germany, and NATO.

The encouraging remarks coincided with high-level meetings in Berlin where European leaders proposed a "multinational force" to enforce any future peace accord, although Russia had not yet responded to these proposals.

During the Berlin talks, European leaders issued a joint statement suggesting this force would be part of US-backed "robust security guarantees" designed to ensure Russia wouldn't violate an agreement ending the conflict that began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelensky acknowledged that discussions with Trump's envoys were "not easy" but showed "progress" regarding security guarantees. He met for a second day with Trump's special representative Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner to advance peace negotiations based on a proposal initially put forward by Trump.

While Zelensky welcomed new security assurances offered by Washington, he noted differences remained concerning which territories Ukraine might have to surrender to Russia. "There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions," Zelensky told reporters.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed optimism, stating the talks had created the "chance for a real peace process" and praised the United States for offering "substantial" security guarantees.

The joint European statement outlined several points of agreement between European leaders and US officials. It indicated Ukraine's military should continue receiving extensive support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops.

The peace would be maintained through a "US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism" designed to identify violations and "provide early warning of any future attack."

US officials warned Ukraine must accept the deal, which they said would provide security guarantees similar to NATO's Article Five—which considers an attack on one ally an attack on all. "The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees—Article Five-like—also a very, very strong deterrence" in the size of Ukraine's military, a US official explained anonymously.

The official emphasized, "Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there's a conclusion that's reached in a good way."

Trump has previously opposed Ukraine's formal entry into NATO and agreed with Russia that Kyiv's alliance aspirations were a factor in Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Merz described the "substantial legal and material security guarantees" from the United States as "truly remarkable" and "a very important step forward."

Regarding territorial concessions, an official briefed on the US-Ukrainian talks told AFP that US negotiators still want Ukraine to cede control of eastern Donbas—comprising the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Moscow currently controls almost all of Lugansk and approximately 80 percent of Donetsk, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War.

The official noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants territory" and that the United States was demanding Ukraine "withdraw" from these regions, which Kyiv was refusing to do. One US official acknowledged there was no agreement on territory.

Trump has previously stated it's inevitable that Ukraine would need to surrender territory to Russia—an outcome Zelensky finds unacceptable.

Russia has indicated it will insist on its core demands regarding territory and Ukraine never joining NATO. Moscow has previously objected to any European-led force in Ukraine to enforce a peace agreement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia was expecting the United States to "provide us with the concept that is being discussed in Berlin today."