Peace plan could be ready in days, Zelensky says

U.S. would present draft worked out with Ukraine and Europe to Russia before talks.

- By Illia Novikov

ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN Pool Photo

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives for his meeting with the Dutch king in The Hague.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that proposals to end Russia's nearly 4-year-old invasion of his country could be finalized within days.

The goal is to have U.S. negotiators present the proposals to the Kremlin before possible further meetings in the U.S. next weekend.

A draft peace plan discussed with the U.S. during talks in Berlin on Monday is “not perfect” but is “very workable,” Zelensky told reporters hours after the discussions. He cautioned, however, that some key issues — notably what happens to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces — remain unresolved.

U.S.-led peace efforts appear to be picking up momentum. But as the spotlight shifts to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin may balk at some of the proposals hashed out by officials from Washington, Kyiv and Western Europe, including postwar security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelensky said that after the Berlin talks, “we are very close to [a deal on] strong security guarantees.”