American officials involved in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to certain concessions that were previously obstacles to peace between the two nations.
On the condition of anonymity, U.S. officials told the Associated Press that Russia signaled it wouldn't object to Ukraine joining the European Union as a potential peace settlement. Talks were held in Berlin on Monday that included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, senior U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and key European figures such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
If confirmed, this shift in Russia's stance is an unprecedented concession. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Moscow has consistently framed Ukraine's ties to Western defense structures, like NATO, as crucial reasons for the escalation in military conflict. Ukraine applied for EU membership just days before Putin escalated the invasion. However, Putin has previously indicated that he is not entirely opposed to Ukraine gaining EU membership.
The broader peace plan being discussed includes other security guarantees, like Washington guaranteeing Ukraine legally binding deterrents against further aggression that could resemble NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause.
Kyiv has indicated a willingness to set aside its bid for NATO membership in exchange for those guarantees, a pivot aimed at breaking the long-standing deadlock. Ukrainian officials remain adamant, however, that any peace agreement must include strong, Western-backed protections and cannot come at the price of territorial concessions.
European leaders attending the discussions have publicly supported the push for binding security provisions. United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that robust guarantees are crucial to ensuring any peace deal endures, given historical examples of agreements unraveling without enforceable safeguards, according to The Guardian.
The anonymous U.S. officials also say that 90% of the issues have been narrowed, with territory remaining an obstacle for any concrete agreement between the two Eastern European countries. Russia continues to insist that Ukraine withdraw its forces from parts of the Donetsk region and other occupied areas as part of the agreement. Ukraine and other allies have refused to give up these territories since they see it as rewarding aggression.
In the scenario that the EU deal goes through, Ukraine would still need to go through a long process of meeting the Union's strict economic, legal, and governance criteria to be eligible to join. These changes would likely take years and need approval from all 27 countries currently in the EU for Ukraine to be able to join.
