U.S. administration officials signaled Monday a peace deal betweenRussia and Ukrainemay be closer than ever.
"We believe that we probably solved ... 90%, literally 90% of the issues between Ukraine and Russia, but there's some more things that have to be worked out," a U.S. official said during a phone call briefing with reporters.
U.S. officials spoke with reporters under the condition of anonymity on the robust discussions held in Berlin between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and businessman Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the U.S.-authored peace plan.
Hundreds of thousands without power in Ukraine after Russian strikes, Zelenskyy says
A potential peace deal brokered over the weekend between U.S. officials and European allies include NATO Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine backed by robust security protocols, efforts to rebuild and reconstruct Ukraine following years of war, and deterrence efforts and punishments for any further Russian incursions, according to the U.S. officials.
Russia has indicated it's open to Ukraine joining the European Union, the officials added.
The details were agreed to on a "working level" basis during discussions between NATO, Ukraine and the U.S. in Berlin, but final sign off from principals in Washington, Ukraine and Russia is still necessary, the officials said.
The officials indicated that Russia is likely to "accept all these things," but more discussions are still required.
"We believe the Russians, in a final deal, will accept all these things which will allow for a strong and free Ukraine," the official said.
U.S. officials said that peace talks that occurred in Berlin on Sunday and Monday with Ukraine were "really, really positive" following nearly eight hours of negotiations behind closed doors.
Russia again targets Ukraine's energy infrastructure in 'massive attack'
The officials said that consensus was reached on several issues and they hit on every detail in the revised 20-point peace plan.
"We've got consensus on a number of issues that we view as critical to getting to a peace deal. We have some things to discuss as well, but we've touched everything in the 20-point plan and had some very, very positive discussion around it," the U.S. official said.
Two briefings have been given to Trump and he is pleased where things currently stand, according to the U.S. officials.
But despite the U.S. officials providing a more merrier readout of the progress, in his readout, Zelenskyy said that discussions with the U.S. "were not simple but productive."
Security guarantees for Ukraine
On the security guarantees, the U.S. officials said details were still forthcoming but said U.S. boots on the ground in Ukraine were not a part of the discussions.
The officials added that the U.S. Senate would likely have to sign off on the NATO Article 5-like guarantees so that the agreement is legally binding, and "President Trump is willing to do that" -- signaling a major commitment to protect Ukraine from further Russian attacks.
"This NATO-like Article 5 guarantee is something that President Trump believes he can get Russia to accept," the U.S. official said. Ukraine is likely not going to push to join NATO, which the official added is a "critical element" in getting Russia's sign off.
Any potential violations of the security guarantees will be addressed in the final package, the official said.
"Anything that we felt needed to be addressed to make the Ukrainian people feel safe is included in this package," the official added.
Territory discussions continue
On territory discussions, the official said "we've moved considerably closer in narrowing the issues between Ukrainians and the Russians."
Without going into further details, the officials said that Zelenskyy will be discussing the issue of territories with members of his team.
"We've given him some what I'll call thought-provoking ideas. He's got to get back to us," one official said. "We have an obligation at some point after he gets back to us, to speak to the Russians about it, and our European partners. And you can hear that we feel really good about the progress that we've made, including on territories," the official added.
Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday that he saw progress being made on security issues, but the issue of territories "is a painful one, because Russia wants what it wants, and we can't go any further."
"We clearly understand what they want. Some may believe it, others may not, but we know with one hundred percent certainty what they want," he said.
Ukraine rebuilding and reconstruction
On reconstruction efforts, one of the officials said that there is a plan being put together on how to bring people back to Ukraine while also creating a "transparent government." The official added asset manager Black Rock and the World Bank have been working together to pull best practices from different countries and that the Europeans seem to indicate that there would be strong financial support for this.
One of the officials said on the call that the U.S. is close to having Russia and Ukraine agree to a 50-50 split of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Officials on the call said that Russia was open to Ukraine joining the European Union, calling it the biggest expansion of the Euro free-zone since the Berlin Wall.
The officials also shared that it is their hope that the framework of this agreement will allow for Europe and Russia to have a "prosperous future."
"We've seen, over time, there's no such thing as permanent allies or permanent enemies. And maybe if we create the right framework in this agreement, then there could be a new pathway forward, where Europe and Russia can finally have an arrangement and understanding that can lead to a more peaceful and prosperous future for everyone," the official said.
Next steps
Kushner and Witkoff are expected to dine Monday night with European leaders and Zelenskyy and will conduct further peace discussions, the officials said, noting that Trump may join discussions.
"I think President Trump will be calling in to address the leaders, which is, you know, a pretty wonderful thing, and a testament to how much attention he's paying to this particular conflict," the official said.
More meetings next weekend in the U.S. are possible -- likely in Miami, the official added.
"We are under instructions to do what it takes to help facilitate, on behalf of President Trump, a lasting and durable peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and we intend to do our best if needed -- absolutely," the official said.
