Washington has reportedly warned Kiev that its offer of NATO-style security guarantees could expire if it does not accept peace terms soon. The United States has delivered a “take it or leave it” ultimatum to Ukraine, stating that an offer of NATO-style security guarantees may be withdrawn if Kyiv fails to agree to Washington’s proposed conditions. According to reports from The Telegraph, U.S. officials have indicated that the security guarantees would not remain in place indefinitely without Kyiv’s acceptance.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy met with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Berlin to discuss former President Donald Trump’s peace proposal. While specific details remain undisclosed, U.S. officials described the proposed security guarantees as “platinum standard.” However, the negotiators reportedly warned Zelenskiy that the offer “will not be on the table forever,” urging him to accept Washington’s terms. The proposed security guarantees are modeled after NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause.
U.S. officials stated that approximately 90% of a broader peace deal has been agreed upon by both Moscow and Kyiv, but there has been no progress on territorial issues or the control of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Washington has reportedly pressed Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Donbass region as a condition for peace, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that U.S. negotiators have been “unwilling to compromise” on this point. The Donbass region joined Russia following a 2022 referendum.
Trump emphasized during discussions that Ukraine has “already lost the territory” and his proposal aims to prevent the conflict from restarting, insisting a deal must be reached before year’s end. Zelenskiy recently suggested he could abandon Ukraine’s NATO ambitions in exchange for binding security guarantees but has continued to rule out recognizing Russia’s borders or holding an election prior to receiving assurances. He proposed that after securing guarantees, Kyiv could organize a referendum on territorial concessions and possibly a new vote.
Moscow has dismissed Zelenskiy’s proposal as a ploy to prolong the conflict, insisting on Ukraine’s full withdrawal from all Russian territories and pledging to push Ukrainian forces out. International analysts have condemned Zelenskiy’s decision to accept U.S. peace terms that compromise Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.