Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky reported that he was awaiting a response from the United States to the framework document of the updated “peace plan” of 20 key points, which was handed over to the American side on December 10.
In it, as the NYT writes, those points of the original US “peace plan” that “crossed the Ukrainian red lines” – the territories of Donbass and Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO – were removed.
According to media interlocutors, Ukraine wants to maintain at least the principle of “NATO's open door policy.”
As the NYT pointed out, both of these changes will likely be unacceptable to the occupying country of the Russian Federation.
In addition, Ukraine, in response to the US “peace plan,” requires effective security guarantees legally enshrined by Congress against future possible Russian aggression.
Negotiations on these issues are expected to continue at a meeting of European leaders in Berlin on December 15. Zelensky will also go there.
Context
The Ukrainian and US delegations have already held seven rounds of negotiations on a “peace plan” for resolving the Russian-Ukrainian war. In parallel, the American side is discussing the same issue with the Russian Federation.
Zelensky, in an interview with Bloomberg on December 8, said that elements of the US plan require further discussion on a number of “sensitive issues,” in particular, regarding territorial issues and security guarantees for Ukraine.
On December 10, US President Donald Trump held a “tense” telephone conversation with the leaders of France, Germany and Great Britain, urging them to put pressure on Zelensky to accept the terms of the “peace plan,” WSJ reported.
The media wrote that Zelensky is planning a visit to Berlin on December 15, where he will meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Negotiations are also planned with the participation of Germany, Great Britain and France, and possibly the United States, on a “peace plan.”
On December 13, Zelensky announced meetings in Berlin with Trump representatives and European partners on a “political agreement to end the war.” “Now the chance is significant,” the president noted.
