- US officials have reportedly insisted that Kyiv must accept the proposed deal
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the talks as opening a genuine pathway to peace
- Zelenskyy acknowledged that discussions with US envoys were challenging but said progress had been made
United States President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that an agreement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is closer than ever, as European leaders push for a multinational force to enforce any potential peace deal.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Trump made the remarks on Monday at the Oval Office, following high-level talks in Berlin involving Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European powers.
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According to Trump, recent engagements with Zelenskyy and leaders of Britain, France, Germany and NATO had been extensive and productive, giving renewed hope for a breakthrough in efforts to end the conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
At the Berlin meeting, European leaders proposed a multinational force as part of US-backed security guarantees designed to prevent future violations of a peace agreement by Moscow.
Zelenskyy acknowledged that discussions with US envoys were challenging but said progress had been made, particularly on security assurances.
However, he admitted that sharp disagreements remain over territorial concessions, with Ukraine resisting pressure to relinquish parts of the eastern Donbas region currently under Russian control.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the talks as opening a genuine pathway to peace, praising Washington for offering what he termed substantial security guarantees.
European leaders also agreed that Ukraine’s military should continue receiving support and maintain a strong peacetime force, alongside a US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
US officials have reportedly insisted that Kyiv must accept the proposed deal, warning that the security guarantees on offer may not remain available indefinitely.
While Trump has ruled out Ukraine’s NATO membership, he has suggested that territorial compromise may be unavoidable an outcome Zelenskyy continues to reject.
Russia, for its part, has maintained its core demands, including opposition to Ukraine joining NATO and resistance to any European-led peace enforcement force.
The Kremlin said it was awaiting details of the proposals discussed in Berlin, signaling that negotiations remain delicate and unresolved.
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