Russia has indicated it would accept Washington’s proposal for Ukraine’s post-war security arrangements, according to Kyiv’s top presidential aide, though peace talks remain stalled and Moscow has not agreed to a summit between the two countries’ leaders.
Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Russian negotiators signaled acceptance of the American framework during recent negotiations in Geneva. He made the remarks in an interview broadcast on Ukrainian television Saturday.
The last round of talks in Geneva, held last week, produced no breakthrough. Both Kyiv and Moscow described the session as difficult, though Washington said it had seen “meaningful progress.”
Ukraine is seeking binding commitments from the United States and European allies that would require intervention if Russia launches another attack after any peace agreement takes effect. Zelenskiy has said his country faces mounting pressure to make concessions while Russia’s position hardens.
President Donald Trump has pushed both governments to reach a settlement to end Europe’s largest armed conflict since 1945. His administration has sought to position itself as a broker capable of bringing Moscow and Kyiv to terms, though divisions over what a final agreement should contain remain wide.
Security guarantees have emerged as a central issue in negotiations. Ukraine wants assurances that go beyond symbolic declarations, arguing that previous agreements with Russia—including the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which promised Ukrainian sovereignty in exchange for giving up Soviet-era nuclear weapons—proved worthless when Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.
What form those guarantees might take remains unclear. Options under discussion have ranged from NATO membership to bilateral defense pacts with individual countries to a multilateral framework resembling the treaties that protect Israel.
Budanov’s comments suggest Russia may be willing to tolerate some form of Western security architecture for Ukraine, a shift from Moscow’s longstanding insistence that Ukrainian neutrality is non-negotiable. Whether that represents a genuine concession or a tactical position designed to extract other demands is uncertain.
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Russia has not agreed to a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy, Budanov said. US special envoy Steve Witkoff had floated the possibility of a summit between the two leaders, but Moscow has given no indication it will participate.
The absence of a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting reflects the deep mistrust between the two sides and the difficulty of bridging their positions on fundamental issues such as territory, sanctions and accountability for war crimes.
Russia controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and large sections of the Donbas region in the east. Moscow has insisted any settlement must recognize its annexation of those areas, a demand Kyiv has categorically rejected.
Zelenskiy has said Ukraine will not cede territory in exchange for peace and has called for a complete Russian withdrawal as a precondition for serious negotiations. His government has accused Trump of applying unequal pressure, suggesting Washington is more focused on ending the war quickly than ensuring a just outcome.
Trump has offered few details about what his administration considers an acceptable settlement. He has said he wants to end the conflict rapidly and has criticized continued US military aid to Ukraine, though his officials have also insisted they will not force Kyiv into an unfavorable agreement.
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The Geneva talks are part of a broader diplomatic effort that has gained momentum since Trump returned to office. Multiple countries, including Qatar and Turkey, have offered to mediate, though coordination among these initiatives has been limited.
European governments remain divided on how to approach the negotiations. Some, particularly in Eastern Europe, have insisted on strong security guarantees and continued support for Ukraine regardless of what Washington decides. Others have expressed openness to compromise if it ends the fighting.
Russia’s willingness to accept US-designed security guarantees, if confirmed, could represent movement on one of the conflict’s most contentious issues. But significant obstacles remain, including disagreements over borders, reparations, sanctions relief and the status of war crimes investigations.
Whether the parties can bridge those gaps in the coming weeks or months will determine if the Geneva process leads to a settlement or collapses into another frozen conflict with no clear resolution.