Ukraine awaits US response on Kyiv’s latest peace proposal as Zelensky begins diplomatic meetings in Berlin

As of now, Ukraine has not received an official response from the United States regarding its latest peace plan proposals, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement to the media.

“There has been no reaction from the US yet. I have received several messages through my negotiating team, but I am getting all the signals and will be ready for dialogue, which begins today,” Zelensky told journalists.

He added that an active diplomatic day begins in Berlin on Sunday.

“Today we have a Ukrainian-American day in Berlin. I will also meet separately with Chancellor Merz and, likely, in the evening with some of our European partners,” he said.

As of now, Zelensky has arrived in Berlin.

“Already in Germany. Today, we plan to meet with the American negotiating team. We are focusing on how to reliably guarantee security for Ukraine so that the experience of the Budapest Memorandum and Russia’s invasion is never repeated. We are counting on constructive negotiations,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Recently, US President Donald Trump claimed that Zelensky allegedly does not like the developed peace plan.

According to Trump, Zelensky’s negotiators were reportedly pleased with the agreement, which he said cannot be said about the Ukrainian president himself.

Answering a clarifying question from journalists, Zelensky said:

“The plan will not be one that everyone likes. Of course, there are many compromises in one form or another. We sent the latest comments and changes to the plan to the US. The most important thing is that the plan is as fair as possible, first and foremost for Ukraine, because Russia started the war.”

He added that the key is ensuring the plan is effective and can be “not just a piece of paper, but an important step towards ending the war.”

“The plan must be such that after its signing, Russia will not have the opportunity to launch another aggression against the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky said.

He revealed that Ukraine currently has no direct dialogue with Russia.

“In the dialogue with the American side, they, if I may say so, represent the Russian side, because they talk about their signals, demands, steps, readiness, or unreadiness,” Zelensky said.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is discussing with the US not only bilateral relations between Kyiv and Washington, but also Ukraine’s responses to the Russian signals.

“Regarding compromises with the Russian side… if America exerts pressure, if partners apply pressure, and if America wants to end this war – as they are demonstrating at a high level today – I believe the Russians should compromise,” Zelensky added.

Speaking about compromises on the Ukrainian side, Zelensky stated that bilateral security guarantees from the US under Article 5 of NATO already represent a compromise for Ukraine.

“Bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US – namely, Article 5 guarantees from the US for us – and security guarantees from our European colleagues, as well as other countries like Canada, Japan, etc. These security guarantees give us an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression. And this is already a compromise on our part,” he said.

Zelensky added that even if current diplomatic efforts fail, Ukraine will need to seek new mechanisms to achieve peace.

“If one process or another for the peaceful settlement of this war, or the end of pressure on Russia, does not work out, it is like running a marathon. We must pull ourselves together, find another way, and do everything again to end this war,” he told journalists.

Answering a question about the possible creation of a demilitarized zone in Donbas, Zelensky said he considers the “stand where we stand” approach to be the fairest option.

“This is a ceasefire – the parties stand where they stand, and then diplomatically try to resolve all common issues. I know that Russia does not have a positive attitude towards this, but I would like the Americans to support us in this matter,” Zelensky said.

According to the president, Russia responds to this proposal by demanding that Ukraine withdraw from Donbas, otherwise threatening to occupy it.

He said he raised the issue with US officials, stressing that Moscow often spreads disinformation in order to avoid using force and instead seize territory through diplomatic and political pressure. As an example, Zelensky cited Russian claims about Kupyansk.

“The Russians said that they occupied Kupyansk and that we are surrounded. I was recently in Kupyansk and showed who controls this place,” he said.

Zelensky also described a compromise proposal discussed with the US under which Russian troops would not enter part of eastern Ukraine while Ukrainian forces would withdraw.

“I do not think this is fair, because this is an economic zone – who will manage it?” he said.

Commenting on the idea of a buffer zone along the contact line, Zelensky questioned why any withdrawal should apply only to Ukrainian forces.

“If the Ukrainian troops withdraw five or ten kilometers, then why don’t the Russian troops also withdraw deep into the occupied territories by the same distance?” he said.

He added that the issue remains unresolved and highly sensitive.

“This is a question that still has no answer. But it is very sensational and very hot,” Zelensky said.

Speaking about the possibility of elections, Zelensky said he does not want to speculate on whether such signals are coming from the US or Russia, stressing that he is not clinging to power.

“I am not holding on to my seat. I believe that Ukraine should be ready for any development of events,” he said.

Zelensky added that he has asked international partners to assist with security arrangements should elections take place, and that lawmakers should prepare options for how they could be held if circumstances allow.

He also expressed gratitude to Poland for its support, emphasizing the importance of maintaining strong bilateral relations and confirming that preparations are underway for a visit to Warsaw.

“For us, good neighborly relations are very important. As for my visit to Poland, the Polish side proposed Friday. I think we will not postpone anything. It is very important for us to maintain relations with Poland,” Zelensky said.

Finally, commenting on the possible appointment of a new head of the Office of the President, Zelensky said he has held consultations with several candidates.

“They are all ready to lend a shoulder. No one refused. Everyone is ready to head my Office,” he said, adding that a final decision has not yet been made due to technical considerations./KyvPost.