sensitive axes of US-Ukraine negotiations; From withdrawing from joining NATO to handing over lands

According to Isna, a source with direct knowledge of the Florida talks on Ukraine, which included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Wittkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, said the intensive talks were “a step forward” and “based on progress in Geneva”, where the first round of talks on US proposals to end the Russia-Ukraine war was held last week.

“It’s too early to say we’ve finalized everything here because there’s still a lot of work to be done,” the source told CNN.

“But the meeting was very focused and the most problematic aspects of the peace proposals were discussed in detail,” he added, noting that possible progress could be made in some areas.

According to CNN, one of the most problematic aspects of the original 28-point U.S. peace proposal was the condition that Ukraine formally renounce its desire, enshrined in its constitution, to join NATO — a key Russian demand to end the war and something Ukrainian officials continue to reject.

However, CNN’s source now says negotiators have discussed a possible scenario in which Ukraine would be effectively barred from joining the U.S.-led Western military alliance through arrangements that would have to be negotiated directly between NATO members and Moscow.

According to the informed source, legally, Ukraine will not be forced to formally reject this request.

“But if the United States has an issue for a bilateral agreement with Russia, or if Russia wants to receive guarantees from NATO multilaterally, this does not mean that Ukraine is involved in the decision-making process,” the source added.

The source went on to tell CNN that the final decision on what would be a highly sensitive compromise — likely to be unpopular among NATO nations — has yet to be made and will ultimately be made by Ukraine’s president.

But it does suggest that as U.S.-Ukraine talks continue and with Witkoff traveling to Moscow for Kremlin talks, creative solutions are being explored to circumvent Kiev’s red lines.

According to the American media, one of these problematic areas is the Kremlin’s request, which is also mentioned in the 28-point peace proposal of the United States: Ukraine must cede territories in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, which has been annexed by Russia but has not yet been conquered.

The U.S. plan proposed turning the region, which includes heavily guarded cities and towns considered vital to Ukraine’s security, into a Russian demilitarized zone that would be administered by Moscow but without military forces.

The source, with direct knowledge of the talks, told CNN that talks are also progressing on that issue — one of the most contentious issues in the talks.

The CNN source also stated: “The idea of ​​handing over control to the Russians would significantly weaken Ukraine’s defenses, increase the likelihood of further potential aggression, and significantly reduce Ukraine’s capabilities, but that doesn’t mean there are no potential ways to preserve the constitution and keep Ukraine safe.”

However, the source declined to discuss the specific options being discussed, saying the matter was “very sensitive”.

He went on to say, “I really believe that if this becomes public, we may ruin a potential solution.”

According to CNN, another disruptive factor may emerge in the coming days: the Kremlin, which has so far refused to limit any of its maximum demands to subdue Ukraine before the end of the war.

Amid signs of Ukrainian compromises by US negotiators, the next and bigger challenge in US back-and-forth diplomacy may be getting Russia to accept them.

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