US officials say Ukraine would get NATO-style guarantees in American peace deal

Ukraine would be offered security guarantees similar to those afforded NATO members under a US-led peace deal to end Russia's war, according to White House officials.

Following marathon talks between Kyiv and Washington in Berlin, 90 per cent of issues between Moscow and Kyiv were resolved, the officials said.

They said security guarantees were the main topic of the talks, with the US offering Ukraine commitments similar to those afforded to members of the Western military alliance.

Such protection was described by one official as the "platinum standard", with US President Donald Trump wanting to prevent Russia from moving further west into Europe.

"We've moved considerably closer in narrowing the issues between Ukrainians and the Russians," one of the officials said.

Russia was open to Ukraine joining the European Union, it was said, but issues around territory remained.

Ukraine has long rejected Russian demands for it to give up territory in its east as part of any peace deal.

Both US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, attended a dinner with officials on Monday night in Berlin, and Mr Trump called into the event.

Working groups are now expected to meet in the United States during the coming weekend, possibly in Miami, one of the officials said.

Ukraine says 'real progress' made in talks

Kyiv's negotiator Rustem Umerov wrote on social media that the marathon diplomacy efforts in the German capital were "constructive and productive" and "real progress" was achieved.

"We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day," he added, without providing details of the talks.

Mr Zelenskyy met for a second day with Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner under tight security in the chancellery of Germany's Friedrich Merz.

While Mr Witkoff on Sunday hailed "progress", an official briefed on the talks said the US side still wanted Ukraine to cede control of the eastern Donbas region as a condition of peace negotiations with Russia — a red line for Kyiv.

Later on Monday, Mr Merz and a group of European leaders — including from Britain, France, Italy, Poland and Finland, along with the NATO and EU chiefs — were due to join Mr Zelenskyy for an evening summit seen as a show of support for the embattled country.

Ukraine, fighting a gruelling war since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, hopes to convince Washington that a ceasefire must be agreed without prior territorial concessions to Russia.

European leaders have been adamant any eventual deal must create a "just peace" and not pave the way for future Russian aggression.

Mr Trump has pushed strongly for an end to the war but an initial 28-point plan last month was seen as heavily favouring Moscow's position by Kyiv and its European allies.

Ukraine has since presented counter-proposals, and Mr Zelenskyy said on Sunday his country was ready in principle to compromise on its desire for NATO membership, provided it received solid security guarantees in return.

Russia, meanwhile, has signalled it will insist on its core demands, including on territory and on Ukraine never joining NATO.

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

A day earlier, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov had said: "I think the contribution of both Ukrainians and Europeans to these documents is unlikely to be constructive, that's the problem."

Negotiations 'have never been as serious as they are now'

The official briefed on the talks told AFP that American negotiators still wanted Ukraine to cede control of the eastern Donbas — made up of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

Moscow controls almost all of Lugansk and about 80 per cent of the Donetsk region, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants territory," said the official, adding that the US was demanding that Ukraine "withdraw" from the regions and that Kyiv was refusing.

"It's a bit striking that the Americans are taking the Russians' position on this issue," the official added.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul voiced cautious optimism, tempered with worries about whether Putin would back away from his demands.

"I believe the negotiations have never been as serious as they are now. They are being conducted very intensively," Mr Wadephul said.

"But whether it will be successful, we won't know until the end of the week. Of course, every effort is worthwhile in this historic situation to finally end this terrible dying and bring this war to a close.

"What we still don't know is whether Vladimir Putin truly has a genuine will to end this war."

Ukraine strikes Russian submarine

The possibility of a breakthrough came as Ukraine's domestic security service on Monday said it had caused critical damage to a Russian submarine.

The SBU said Kyiv's forces had struck the sub at the port of Novorossiysk, one of Russia's largest such facilities on the Black Sea.

In a statement, it added the Kilo-class submarine was knocked out of operation following the first such attack by Sea Baby drones.

AFP/Reuters