Europe is unleashing tens of billions in new aid for Ukraine as Russia escalates strikes on key infrastructure, raising the stakes for a U.S.-led peace push that in recent weeks has been moving at full speed.
Developments framed high-level peace talks in Berlin, where U.S. envoys spent two-and-a-half days with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders pushing a new framework that includes Article 5-like security guarantees, economic recovery plans, and proposed pathways for resolving territorial disputes as Washington seeks to an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine that has persisted since February 2022.
European Union (EU) Council President Antonio Costa announced Friday that countries will allocate 90 billion euros ($105.5 billion) in aid to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027. “We have a deal,” Costa wrote on X following the package’s approval.
Military.com reached out to the White House, U.S. Department of Defense and Russian government for comment.
Article 5 Takes Center Stage
U.S. envoys spent more than eight hours across two days with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, joined by senior German, British and French officials, according to senior U.S. officials familiar with the talks.
Negotiators made progress on most elements of a detailed multi-point framework designed to lock in security guarantees strong enough to prevent Russia from reigniting the conflict after any agreement.
The proposed guarantees are described as Article 5-like, referencing NATO’s collective defense principle of all countries defending one another. They include deterrence measures, monitoring mechanisms, military coordination, and deconfliction procedures intended to stop isolated incidents from escalating into renewed fighting.
Officials emphasized the guarantees would stop short of NATO membership and would not invoke the alliance’s formal collective defense clause.
U.S. officials have outlined security arrangements that aim to deter future Russian aggression through long-term military coordination, intelligence sharing and rapid-response mechanisms designed to prevent renewed conflict.
Billions Flow as Fighting Intensifies
The sweeping financial support package for Ukraine comes as broader peace talks remain unresolved.
Officials said the funding is critical as Russia intensifies air and missile strikes on ports, energy facilities and other infrastructure—increasing pressure on Kyiv both militarily and economically as negotiations advance.
European officials told U.S. counterparts they view Ukraine as central to continental security and said sustained financial backing is essential to preserve Kyiv’s leverage at the negotiating table, as well as to prevent an economic collapse that could derail any future peace agreement.
European assessments have emphasized that economic collapse, rather than battlefield defeat, remains one of Ukraine’s greatest vulnerabilities if long-term funding commitments falter.
Borders and Nuclear Power Move Toward Resolution
Territorial disputes remain among the most sensitive elements of the talks, though officials said negotiators narrowed gaps after working groups produced draft options addressing sovereignty, governance, and economic arrangements tied to contested regions.
Negotiators also addressed the future of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, including questions of operational control and electricity distribution if repairs are completed. The Nuclear Energy Agency, even more than three years into the conflict in Eastern Europe, continues to collect information to support its members’ efforts to maintain and better understand the state of nuclear safety and radiological protection in Ukraine.
Officials said both Ukraine and Russia have expressed interest in restoring the facility and resuming power production, with discussions exploring a potential split in output once safety, technical and monitoring concerns are resolved, viewing the plant as essential to regional stability and any lasting agreement.
Western officials have repeatedly identified control of occupied territory and the safety of nuclear facilities as among the most dangerous unresolved flashpoints in the conflict.
Rebuilding Ukraine and the Fight Over Frozen Russian Assets
Talks addressed Ukraine’s long-term economic survival and the unresolved debate over frozen Russian assets, which officials view as central to sustaining any postwar agreement.
Officials said international financial institutions and private-sector leaders are working with Kyiv to shape a reconstruction plan focused on transparency, infrastructure rebuilding and compensation for families impacted by the war.
Frozen Russian assets were discussed as a potential funding source, though officials acknowledged significant legal and political obstacles remain. Officials cautioned that no decision has been made on seizing or reallocating the assets, making the issue one of the most contentious financial questions still facing negotiators.
U.S. and European officials have explored using immobilized Russian sovereign assets to help fund reconstruction, even as legal experts warn such moves could trigger court challenges and diplomatic backlash.
Washington Weighs New Path to Peace
U.S. officials said Washington is considering a broader negotiating format that could include Ukraine, Russia, the United States and European partners directly, marking a potential shift in how talks are structured.
Officials cautioned that Russia’s participation remains uncertain. U.S. intelligence assessments indicate Moscow’s core war aims have not changed, raising questions about whether the Kremlin is prepared to make meaningful concessions despite diplomatic engagement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow will seek to extend its territorial gains if negotiations collapse, reinforcing concerns that talks may be used as leverage rather than a path to compromise.
Still, officials said U.S. President Donald Trump remains personally involved and prepared to press the process forward, including seeking Senate approval for any formal security guarantees tied to a final agreement.
Working groups are expected to reconvene in the United States in the coming days, with additional travel possible as talks continue.
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