Is a ceasefire agreement really imminent…Conflicting accounts from the U.S. and Ukraine

U.S.: "Only minor details remain to be coordinated"

Ukraine: "Disagreement over Donbas concessions, troop reductions, NATO accession"

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russia and Ukraine are very close to reaching a ceasefire agreement, but conflicting accounts have emerged about whether an actual agreement between the two countries is imminent.

The U.S. side says that only details remain to be coordinated and that the Ukrainian government has agreed to the ceasefire plan put forward by the Trump administration, while Russia has not yet responded. However, Ukraine counters that the matters to be coordinated with the U.S. are all Ukraine's 'red lines' and cannot be conceded.

On the 25th (local time), U.S. CBS News reported a U.S. government official saying, "Ukraine has agreed to the peace agreement," and emphasized that "there are a few minor details to resolve, but (Ukraine) has agreed to the peace agreement." This official's remarks echo President Trump's statement on the social network Truth Social that "only a few remaining disagreements" exist.

CBS reported that there has been no direct response from Russia to the draft ceasefire proposal put forward by the U.S. However, the official said that Dan Driscoll, U.S. Army Secretary, who is participating in the ceasefire talks, is optimistic and stressed, "We expect feedback from Russia soon. Things are moving quickly."

Contrary to the U.S. optimism, somewhat different voices emerged from Ukraine. U.S. CNN cited a senior Ukrainian source familiar with the negotiations, reporting that while the U.S. and Ukraine have reached agreement on the broad outlines of the ceasefire plan, there are at least three issues with large gaps in positions.

According to the source, Ukraine insists it cannot give up territory in Donbas, cannot accept troop reductions, and cannot abandon its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). CNN reported that the U.S. draft includes a provision to make the Donbas region a demilitarized zone managed by Russia.

However, the region includes cities that play a central role in Ukraine's security, so Ukraine cannot easily concede them. The source said discussions were held about reducing Ukraine's armed forces from the current 900,000 to 600,000, and that negotiations considered larger numbers, adding that Ukraine wants more changes before agreeing to troop limits.

On the NATO accession issue, Ukraine's stance is firm. The source argued that if Ukraine cannot join NATO, "Russia would in effect be exercising a veto over a Western military alliance of which it is not even a member." CNN noted that the clauses mentioned by the Ukrainian source are far from being simply "a few remaining disagreements," "items that are not insurmountable," or "minor details to be resolved."

Ahn Hye-won Hankyung.com reporter anhw@hankyung.com