Zelenski, meeting in Paris with Macron, in full renegotiation of the peace plan proposed by the USA
Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron Elysee Palace. Photo: Ludovic Marin / AFP / Profimedia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will go to Paris on Monday for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Élysée Palace announced. The visit comes at a time when the Ukrainian leader is facing the most difficult political and military situation since the Russian invasion in 2022, Reuters notes.
The two leaders will discuss “the conditions of a just and lasting peace” in continuation of the Geneva dialogue and the American peace plan, the Élysée said in a statement published on Saturday.
Zelenskiy was last in Paris on November 17.
The Europeans' counterproposal to the American plan for Ukraine. What changes did they make to the document?
Unveiled last week, the US plan in its original form called for Ukraine to completely cede the Donbas region (consisting of Donetsk and Lugansk provinces) to Russia and reduce its armed forces. In addition, Ukraine would have been required to abandon its goal of joining NATO and limit the size of its military to 600,000 troops.
In return, Russia would have returned to Kiev parts of the occupied territories in Zaporozhye and Kherson provinces and would have accepted that Ukraine would receive security guarantees from the US and join the European Union, while the Donbas territories ceded to Russia would become demilitarized zones.
The American plan was significantly modified after emergency negotiations between the US and Ukraine, with the participation of European countries.
