Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said discussions with the U.S. side were not easy — with reports indicating that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pressed for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk — but described the talks as productive. According to the BBC, citing U.S. government sources, around 90% of the outstanding issues between Russia and Ukraine have now been agreed.

After meeting the U.S. negotiators, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continued consultations with German officials ahead of a dinner with European partners in the German capital. The Elysee Palace said French President Emmanuel Macron would also attend.

A U.S. official told Reuters the Berlin talks were “very positive,” saying agreement had been reached on many issues, though some matters remain unresolved and have been assigned to working groups. The official said European representatives were “excellent” and that President Donald Trump was “very pleased” with the progress made.

“We hope we are on a path that leads to peace,” an official said, according to the BBC, adding that there had been more in-depth discussions on territorial issues and significant progress on security guarantees. These, the official said, would resemble NATO’s Article 5-style guarantees, though they would not remain on the table indefinitely.

The United States is ready to engage Russia at any time based on the discussions held, the official added, saying Trump believes he can persuade Moscow to accept such guarantees — and secure approval from the U.S. Senate.

A German representative said it is unclear if the two U.S. envoys would take part in a meeting scheduled for later on Monday between the EU officials and the Ukrainian delegation. He added, however, that both Witkoff and Kushner had been invited.

According to reports in Germany, a high-ranking official said Ukraine was prepared to abandon its demand for NATO membership, while the U.S has yet to present concrete security guarantees to Ukraine.

Sources: BBC, Reuters