In Berlin, US presidential special envoys Steve Whitthof and Jared Kushner will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starman. The meeting aims to discuss the peace plan put forward by Donald Trump’s administration to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Washington views territorial issues and security guarantees for Ukraine as the main obstacles to the plan. President Zelensky’s idea to resolve territorial questions via referendum is seen as progress, but Ukraine's Constitution does not provide such a mechanism. Any referendum would require constitutional changes, which remain unlikely and contradict core legal provisions. Therefore, even if an agreement is reached, its legal validity would be questionable.
On security guarantees, Axios reports that the US might offer Ukraine commitments similar to NATO’s Article 5, obliging the US to defend Ukraine in case of renewed Russian aggression. However, such a move currently seems unrealistic due to the risk of direct conflict with a nuclear power.
There is also uncertainty in Washington about Russia’s willingness to accept these proposals. Experts believe that without Moscow’s consent, any deals lack real force. Russian officials have publicly rejected key points of the US peace plan, using negotiations to buy time for continuing the war.
Thus, international pressure is not only about compromising with Russia, but also about compelling Ukraine to accept conditions that could trigger internal instability. Without Russia’s agreement, any peace arrangements remain purely theoretical.
