Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will seek a crucial endorsement today from US President Donald Trump for a new, 20-point proposal aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict with Russia.
The plan, the result of weeks of intense negotiations between the US and Ukraine, comes following a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv that underscored the urgency of finding a resolution.
The meeting at Mr. trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence marks the first in-person encounter between the two leaders as October, when the US president declined mr. Zelensky’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.
During a stopover in Canada, Mr. Zelensky expressed hope for “very constructive” talks, asserting that russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent assault on the Ukrainian capital revealed his disinterest in peace. “This attack is again Russia’s answer on our peace efforts. And this really showed that Putin doesn’t want peace,” he saeid.
European Support confirmed
While in Canada, Mr. Zelensky participated in a conference call with European leaders who, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, pledged thier full support for his peace initiatives.
Russia has accused Ukraine and its European allies of attempting to “torpedo” a previous US-brokered plan to halt the fighting.
European Union leaders ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, who joined the conference call, affirmed the EU’s unwavering backing for ukraine and vowed to continue pressuring the Kremlin to reach an agreement.
The US president has remained noncommittal regarding the new peace proposal. “Mr Zelensky doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Mr. Trump stated in an interview with Politico on Friday. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”
The proposed plan centers on halting the war along current front lines, potentially requiring Ukraine to withdraw troops from the east to establish demilitarized buffer zones. This represents Ukraine’s most explicit acknowledgement to date of possible territorial concessions.
Though,the plan does not include Ukraine relinquishing control of the 20% of the eastern Donetsk region it currently holds-a key demand from Russia.
Mr. Trump has positioned ending the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as a central promise of his potential second term, branding himself a “president of peace.” However, he has admitted the Ukraine war has proven more challenging than anticipated, repeatedly expressing frustration with both sides for failing to achieve a truce.
Security Guarantees a Priority
In Canada, Mr. Zelensky emphasized the importance of security guarantees during the upcoming Florida talks. “Security guarantees must be simultaneous with the end of the war, because we must be confident that Russia will not start aggression again,” he stressed. “We need strong security guarantees. We will discuss this and we will discuss the terms.”
Ukraine continues to seek increased financial and military support from European and US partners, particularly in the form of drones. The recent Russian attack, involving 500 drones and 40 missiles, crippled infrastructure and left hundreds of thousands of Kyiv region residents without power and heating amid freezing temperatures.
