Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that a full ceasefire in the war with Russia will be possible only after signing a framework agreement, and added that Russia will not agree to a ceasefire without such an agreement.
The United States, after repeated talks with Russia, believes that a full ceasefire can only occur after signing the framework agreement. In my opinion, it is no secret that the Russians will not agree to a ceasefire if there is no agreement, Zelensky said during a meeting with journalists.
According to the president, the plan being prepared “includes several issues, such as post-war economy and reconstruction, security guarantees and other matters, which are specified in the basic document, and then, based on this or that point that requires clarification, a separate document will be created.”
– This means that the 20 points constitute the foundation, the conditional framework on the basis of which the appropriate number of documents will be created – Zelensky explained.
The head of state noted that in economic matters, more than one document will be created. On the Ukrainian side, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kaczka and several other people who worked on the minerals agreement with the US will work on the economic action plan.
Then, the Ukrainian group – no longer economic, but security – will cooperate with the American security group. It will be one document or more – we'll see, but the security guarantees must be really effective and work to prevent a third Russian invasion. That is why we are paying maximum attention to it, Zelensky emphasized.
The president also believes that an agreement with the US regarding the economy and reconstruction will be signed, and that effective security guarantees will be developed and can be signed.
– I believe that everything will be signed at the same time anyway: the economy, security guarantees, and these may be parallel processes. But they need a framework agreement, the Americans want a framework agreement, such a diplomatic foundation, because they believe that the framework agreement contains the main principles of ending the war, Zelensky explained.
The issue of Donbas should be resolved by the Ukrainian people
According to the Ukrainian president, the United States wants to achieve a common format for managing the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. – Our position on this matter is very simple. If the Americans can take the power plant under their wing and somehow demilitarize the area, which means that Russian troops must leave the power plant at a certain distance, then it will be possible for Ukraine to have access to the power plant, he said.
According to Zelensky, the Donbas issue should be resolved by the Ukrainian people in elections or a referendum. The American side's vision regarding the Donetsk Oblast is that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will leave the areas of this region under their control, and Russian troops will not enter there.
When we talk about the “free economic zone” and that there cannot be troops there because they are located at a certain distance from each other, it is probably fair to ask: and if someone withdraws on one side, as Ukrainians are expected to do, why does the other side of the conflict not withdraw the same distance in the other direction? – he noticed.
Zelensky said that the US plan envisages the withdrawal of Russian troops from the parts of the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv oblasts they have occupied. “This is what is being considered,” he noted. As for the Kherson and Zaporozhye oblasts, the proposal is: “we stand where we stand,” the president added.
Zelensky: The Russian authorities are inhibiting the process of exchanging prisoners
According to the Ukrainian head of state, the strength of the Ukrainian Armed Forces under a possible agreement would be 800,000. soldiers and this point was refined accordingly.
Zelensky added that the Russian authorities are inhibiting the process of exchanging prisoners because so far they only want general agreements.
Speaking about the elections in Ukraine, which the US administration expects, Zelensky said that they can be held, but the condition is a ceasefire at least for the period of the electoral process and voting.
On Thursday, Zelensky wrote in the Telegram messenger that he had a constructive conversation with representatives of the US authorities about one of the documents regarding security guarantees. “On the American side, (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio, (Head of the Pentagon) Pete Hegseth, (President Donald Trump's envoy) Steve Witkoff, (Trump's son-in-law) Jared Kushner, (Commander of NATO forces in Europe, General) Alexus Grynkewich, (Commissioner for Federal Procurement) Josh Gruenbaum participated. I also thank (Secretary General) Mark Rutte, who represented NATO,” he said.
The president said that Ukraine greatly appreciates the active work of the American side at various levels. “This proves the determination and commitment of the United States to achieve the intended goals,” Zelensky emphasized.
The Axios website reported on Thursday, citing Ukrainian and White House sources, that a meeting of high-ranking US representatives with representatives of Ukraine, France, Germany and Great Britain on the American peace plan is expected on Saturday in Paris.
White House: Trump frustrated with Russia and Ukraine
US President Donald Trump is frustrated with Russia and Ukraine, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday. She added that Washington would send its representative to talks in Europe over the weekend if it believed the meeting could be productive.
– The US and the Trump administration are very involved in trying to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. On Wednesday, the president held a conversation with European leaders. His envoy (Steve) Witkoff and his team are continuing discussions with both sides at this time, a spokeswoman said at a briefing.
She announced that the Americans would send their representative to a meeting in Europe next weekend if they believe that “there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement, if they decide that these meetings are worth” the US representative's time.
She also emphasized that the president is “very frustrated with both sides of this war.” – He's tired of meetings just for the sake of meetings. I don't want to talk anymore. He wants action. “I want this war to end,” Leavitt continued.
She said that the US administration spent 30 hours in meetings with Russians, Ukrainians and Europeans in recent weeks.
The Axios website reported on Thursday, citing Ukrainian and White House sources, that a meeting of high-ranking US representatives with representatives of Ukraine, France, Germany and Great Britain on the American peace plan is expected on Saturday in Paris.
According to Axios, Ukraine and European countries would be represented by national security advisers. However, it is not clear – as the portal noted – whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also President Trump's national security adviser, would be present.
The meeting in Paris would follow Trump's Wednesday phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron and the heads of government of Britain and Germany, Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz.
Chancellor Merz said on Thursday that he expects talks with the US presidential administration this weekend on the peace proposals for Ukraine submitted by the European side. Merz explained that in Wednesday's phone call with Trump, European leaders proposed that they could “finalize the document with the American government over the weekend.”
From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)
From Kiev Iryna Hirnyk (PAP)
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