Russia open to Ukraine joining EU as US peace plan reaches 90% consensus

The war may be moving closer to an end. US officials said that Russia has signalled it would not block Ukraine from joining the European Union, as negotiators say about 90 per cent of a US-drafted peace plan has been agreed.

The comments, shared by US officials on Monday, follow two days of intense talks in Berlin involving President Donald Trump's envoys and Ukrainian and European leaders, raising cautious hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough after more than three years of fighting, according to the Associated Press.

According to US officials briefed on the talks, negotiations led by Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's team helped narrow gaps on key issues, including security guarantees for Kyiv and Russia's demand that Ukraine cede territory in the east.

"There is now consensus on about 90 per cent of the US-authored peace framework," the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

They described Russia's openness to Ukraine joining the EU as a major concession, even though Moscow has previously said it does not object to Kyiv's EU ambitions.

According to the Associated Press, one of the most sensitive elements remains the question of security guarantees for Ukraine. US officials said Washington has agreed in principle to provide unspecified guarantees as part of any final deal, but warned the offer would not remain open indefinitely.

The administration plans to submit any security guarantees agreement to the US Senate, though officials did not clarify whether it would be treated as a formal treaty requiring a two-thirds vote.

Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready to drop its bid to join Nato if it receives binding Western security guarantees similar to those enjoyed by alliance members. Still, Kyiv maintains that Nato membership remains its preferred option to deter future Russian aggression.

LAND REMAINS THE HARDESH OBSTACLE

Territory continues to be the most difficult issue. Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from parts of the eastern Donetsk region still under Kyiv's control, a demand Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected.

US officials acknowledged that control of Donetsk, much of which is occupied by Russian forces, remains a major sticking point despite progress elsewhere.

Kushner and Witkoff were expected to hold further talks over dinner on Monday evening with Ukrainian, British, German and French leaders. Trump, who has been briefed twice on the Berlin discussions, was set to join the dinner by phone from Washington.

Negotiators are also expected to reconvene later this week, possibly in Miami or elsewhere in the United States, to continue working through unresolved issues.

Ukraine's lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said on social media that the Berlin talks produced "real progress." A US government post on Witkoff's social media account echoed that assessment, saying "a lot of progress was made."

Zelenskyy also met German and other European leaders on Monday, while French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Berlin to join discussions.

"The issue of security in particular will ultimately determine whether this war actually comes to a standstill or flares up again," said Stefan Kornelius, spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The Kremlin said it expects an update from the US on the Berlin talks. Asked whether a deal could be reached by Christmas, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called such predictions a "thankless task," adding that President Vladimir Putin is open to "serious peace" but not to stalling tactics.

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