Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for roughly eight hours of talks over two days, which U.S. officials called very positive, and President Donald Trump said the sides are closer than ever to a deal.
- Washington is proposing Article 5–style, legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine—described by U.S. officials as a top-tier offer—that would require Senate approval and are tied to territorial concessions.
- Kyiv signaled it could defer its NATO bid in exchange for strong guarantees but rejected withdrawing from Donetsk, instead proposing to freeze the current front lines as the basis for a cease-fire.
- European leaders in Berlin reported significant progress and backed substantial U.S.-European security commitments to underpin any cease-fire, with discussion of a European-led multinational force supported by the United States.
- The Kremlin remains skeptical and insists on Ukrainian withdrawals, active hostilities continue, and participants said no final agreement has been reached.