Trump offers ‘platinum’ security guarantees for Ukraine, but US officials caution offer won’t last forever
By Kevin Liptak, CNN
(CNN) — American officials on Monday described significant progress in talks to bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end, suggesting beefed-up security guarantees for Kyiv had advanced the peace talks — but that the US offer would not be on the table forever.
The assessment came after two days of discussions in Berlin between officials from Europe, Ukraine and the United States. President Donald Trump was represented at the talks by his foreign envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The president plans to phone into a dinner of European leaders later Monday, one US official said, to discuss the developing agreement. He spoke twice with Witkoff and Kushner over the course of Monday’s discussions.
“I would assess that he’s really pleased with where we are today,” one of the officials said.
Roughly 90% of the issues between Russia and Ukraine have been solved, one of the officials said, describing the issue of territorial concessions as a remaining sticking point. The US side offered “thought-provoking” ideas on how to resolve the impasse, the official said, including the development of an “economic free zone.”
A set of “Article 5”-like security guarantees was hammered out in more precise detail during the talks, the officials said, and would allow for deterrence from further Russian aggression, deconfliction mechanisms and monitoring of an eventual peace deal. But officials declined to delve into specifics, including the US role, beyond saying it would not include US boots on the ground.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Kyiv compromised on security guarantees instead of NATO membership. (NATO’s Article 5 calls on allies to assist any member that comes under attack.)
The package of guarantees would also spell out the consequences for Russia if it violates the agreement.
“This is the most robust set of security protocols they have ever seen. It is a very, very strong package,” the first official said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said that “what the US has offered here in terms of material and legal guarantees is really significant.”
Trump is willing to bring the US-backed security guarantees before Congress, the second official said, describing the package as the “platinum standard” for what Washington can offer Ukraine.
Trump believes he can get Moscow to accept the guarantees, and the US officials said Russia had indicated openness to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of any peace agreement.
But the officials said Trump’s offers would not last forever.
“The Europeans expressed a lot of appreciation for President Trump’s willingness to lean into this issue and to offer such guarantees,” one of the officials said. “Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now.”
Also discussed this week were plans for Ukraine’s reconstruction, with a team at investment company Blackrock holding discussions with Ukrainian officials about financial support; and about the fate of the Zaporizhzhia power plant, which remains unresolved.
The US officials did not describe imminent plans to present the latest version of the deal to Russian President Vladimir Putin but said resolving the final issues — including questions of territory — would have to be done by Moscow and Kyiv.
“It will really be up to the parties to work out the final issues of sovereignty and to see if there’s a deal that can be done between them,” one of the officials said, adding the US had an obligation to discuss to issue with Moscow and with the Europeans.
Witkoff and Kushner are prepared to travel to Russia if needed for further discussions, the first official said.
The-CNN-Wire
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