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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to agree on a final peace plan with the United States and his country’s European supporters by the end of January. The Ukrainian negotiating team is working on holding talks with US delegations and the European so-called Coalition of the Willing in the coming weeks Ukraine Zelensky said in a WhatsApp chat with Ukrainian journalists.
The aim of such a meeting would be to develop a document that could then be approved at the level of heads of state and government. This document would then for the first time reflect a common position of Ukraine, the USA and European states, with which one could then enter into negotiations with Russia. Ukraine is ready for talks with Russia in any format, said Zelensky.
There is still no agreement on security guarantees
The basis of the discussions that have been going on for weeks is the USA’s so-called 28-point plan for an end to the war, which was approved in November after talks between the USA and Russia had been published. In the meantime, the document, which largely corresponded to Russian demands, was used in numerous consultations between the USA and Ukraine and European countries revised and reduced to 20 points. This plan, in turn, has not yet been finally agreed on key issues such as the future demarcation of the border in Ukraine and the design of Western security guarantees for the country.
Zelensky met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Sunday evening had not produced an agreement. Although both presidents subsequently spoke of great progress, especially in the discussed US security guarantees for Ukraine, they did not provide any details.
In addition to the specific design of the security agreements, their term is also apparently unclear: Zelensky told the Ukrainian media that he hopes for a term of up to 50 years, which Trump has not yet taken a final position on. The US President offered security guarantees for a period of 15 years.
Zelenskyj also emphasized that the war without Security guarantees cannot be considered “really finished”. “We cannot recognize that it is over, because with such a neighbor there is still a risk of renewed aggression,” the Ukrainian president said. Only once the war has ended and Ukraine has received security guarantees can Ukraine lift martial law – which in turn is a necessary condition for holding presidential and parliamentary elections. According to the 20-point plan, these should be organized as quickly as possible after the end of the war.
Zelensky contradicts Trump on ceasefire
Another contradiction arises after the Ukrainian President’s words about the further steps towards a peace agreement with Russia. Zelensky said the 20-point plan, which he hopes to complete in January, must be submitted to the Ukrainian people for a vote. The reason for this is probably that the plan could contain territorial cessions from Ukraine, which Zelenskyj would like to legitimize through a referendum.
However, in order to organize such a vote, a ceasefire of at least 60 days is necessary, said Zelensky. In doing so, he contradicted a statement made by Trump the day before, when the US President said that the aim of his talks with Ukraine was not a temporary ceasefire, but an end to the war. Trump, who had himself called for a ceasefire after taking office, thus agreed with Russia’s stance, which has ruled out a temporary ceasefire. Ukraine, on the other hand, fears that Russia wants to prolong the negotiations and conquer more territory in the meantime.
How such a referendum can be held if there is a ceasefire is still completely unclear – for example with regard to how the participation of Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory could be guaranteed. It is therefore considered unlikely that such a vote will take place. The exact course of action to end the war is still unclear.
Russia insists on Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk
Russia, in turn, made it clear shortly after the Ukrainian president’s statements that it continued to insist on its demands and accordingly rejected the further course of action outlined by Zelensky. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they continue to demand a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the areas they still control in the Donetsk region.
A few days earlier, Russian head of state Vladimir Putin had said in view of the Russian advance in the area that his interest in a voluntary withdrawal of Ukrainians was currently “close to zero” because Russia would conquer the remaining part of Donetsk anyway. According to military experts However, a conquest within the coming months is considered unlikelyas Russia’s army has not yet approached the heavily fortified cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
Zelensky continues to rule out Ukraine’s withdrawal from these cities and thus the rest of the Donetsk region. Ukraine will reject proposals that do not correspond to their interests, even if they come from “key partners,” said the Ukrainian president – presumably with a view to the USAwho have not yet clearly supported the Ukrainian refusal to give up Donetsk.
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