The deadline that Trump would have given Zelenskiy to get along with Putin: “If we don't reach an agreement, they will withdraw”
The Trump administration expects a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine to be concluded by May 15 this year, claims Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of the European Solidarity party, citing sources inside the negotiations. Otherwise, Washington would withdraw completely from the mediation process.
The USA would have imposed a deadline on Zelenski for an agreement with Putin PHOTO: AFP
“If we don't reach an agreement, they will withdraw from the negotiation process and completely abandon this issue,” said Goncharenko, quoted by Nasha Niva.
According to the Ukrainian deputy, the reason for establishing this deadline is related to the elections for the US Congress, scheduled for November 3. If Donald Trump entered the campaign with an unresolved conflict, this would become a major topic of criticism from Democrats, Goncharenko explained.
He recalled that he was the first to publish an American peace plan for Ukraine, in 28 points, a plan that was later modified following consultations between Kiev and Washington. The US delegation presented the final version to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the first trilateral talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi on January 23 and 24. However, during these meetings, the parties failed to reach an agreement on the territorial issue.
Putin's conditions and Kiev's position
To end the war, Vladimir Putin has asked Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the part of Donbas that is not occupied by the Russian army by June 2025. He reiterated this demand at a meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska in August.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky categorically rejected this option, saying that Kiev will not give up “under no circumstances” to the part of Donbas under his control.
Rejected proposals and pressure from Moscow
According to The New York Times, Washington discussed with Kiev the possibility of deploying neutral forces in Donbas and the separation of Ukrainian and Russian troops as a compromise solution. However, Moscow rejected any such scenario.
The Kremlin stressed that, in the absence of a transfer of Ukrainian territories to Russia during the negotiations, Moscow will continue to try to occupy them by military means.
Security guarantees, conditional
In this context, according to sources cited by the Financial Times, the Trump administration would have clearly conveyed to Ukraine that the US will not provide security guarantees unless Kiev agrees to cede Donbas to Russia.
On the other hand, a source familiar with Washington's position stated that the US “does not try to impose any territorial concession on Ukraine”. The same source added that the United States said security guarantees depend on both sides agreeing to a peace treaty, but its content is “a matter concerning Russia and Ukraine“.
