Territories, ZNPP, elections, army, EU accession: Zelenskyy named positions after Ukraine-US talks

Ukraine and the US remain divided, mainly on territorial issues in negotiations on a peace plan aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine. Another stumbling block in the negotiations is the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Bloomberg reports, citing statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who also spoke about the state of affairs regarding elections and EU accession within the plan, UNN writes.

Details

"We now have draft documents that largely reflect a common Ukrainian-American position, and in some aspects, an American one," Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday. "Some issues still need to be resolved."

Nevertheless, Zelenskyy gave an optimistic assessment, stating that the negotiations "have significantly moved closer to finalizing the documents," the publication writes.

The President's remarks are the most detailed report on the state of peace agreement negotiations. Zelenskyy stated that "US envoys will hand over the draft 20-point plan to their Russian counterparts on Wednesday."

Territorial issue

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine seeks to persuade US President Donald Trump to propose to Russia to end the war along the current line of contact.

According to the President, Russia is currently proposing to withdraw its troops from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions. But Moscow also wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the territory it still controls in Donetsk, which, according to the US, should be defined as a "free economic" or "demilitarized" zone, he said. "In fact, we are in a situation where the Russians want us to withdraw our troops from the Donetsk region, while the Americans are trying to find a way for this 'not to be a withdrawal' – because we are against withdrawal," Zelenskyy said.

According to the President, if the US continues to support Russia's demand for the Ukrainians to retreat in Donetsk to allow for the creation of a special zone, Ukraine will insist that Russia also withdraw its troops from that area. Giving up any land will be difficult for the government in Kyiv to implement, as it would violate Ukrainian law and require a referendum, the publication writes.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine will be allowed to maintain a peaceful army of up to 800,000 servicemen, and any violation of the ceasefire by Russia will trigger US security guarantees.

About ZNPP

Another stumbling block in the negotiations is the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. According to Zelenskyy, the US insists that the plant, which Russia seized in 2022, become jointly owned by all three parties. Trump proposed that the future output of the facility be equally distributed among Ukraine, Russia, and the US.

Zelenskyy called this idea "very inappropriate and not entirely realistic," adding: "How can there be joint commercial activity with the Russians after all that has happened?"

The President said that the company's output should be divided equally between Ukraine and the US, who can then decide whether to transfer any of their share to Russia.

About elections

As part of a compromise, Zelenskyy promised to hold presidential elections "as soon as possible" after a ceasefire is reached. The ceasefire, as stated, will come into effect on the day the peace agreement is signed under the supervision of international mediators.

About EU accession

According to the President, Ukraine has also received US support for a clear timeline for accession to the European Union and a commitment of hundreds of billions of dollars for post-war reconstruction, as well as a new pact with Russia on the protection of river and sea trade.

"As of today, the terms of Ukraine's accession are subject to bilateral discussion between the United States and Ukraine, so far without confirmation from Europe," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy seeks meeting with Trump amid unresolved territorial issues24.12.25, 11:56 • 1812 views