Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, said that to discuss and make decisions on sensitive aspects of Ukraine’s peace plan, including territorial concessions, he must speak with U.S. President Donald Trump.
This request came on Wednesday, December 25, shortly after delegations from both countries concluded a round of talks in Miami.
Zelensky said the delegations had moved closer to finalizing a 20-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. He added, “This document is what we call a framework; a foundational text to end the war; a document between us, the U.S., Europe, and Russia.”
Under Ukraine’s peace plan, the country would need to limit its armed forces to 800,000 troops and receive strong security guarantees from the United States and European countries.
Despite progress, Kyiv and Washington remain divided on territorial issues.
Zelensky said Kyiv’s proposal is “to stay where we are” and halt the war along current lines, while Russia is demanding Ukraine’s withdrawal from all of Donetsk, a region of which roughly one-quarter remains under Kyiv’s control.
He noted that Washington is trying to find a middle ground, including establishing a civilian zone or a special economic zone in the area.
According to Zelensky, Ukrainian and U.S. officials have also been working on several documents related to postwar reconstruction in Ukraine.
He said no agreement has yet been reached regarding the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, which is on the frontline and under Russian military control. Kyiv has proposed creating a small economic zone there.
Zelensky added that the 20-point draft will be reviewed by Russia.
Trump has long expressed his desire to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II but has so far been unable to achieve this goal.
