Zelenskyy and Trump to meet on war termination plan, but face disagreements on key issues - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
The presidents of Ukraine and the United States will meet in Florida to discuss a plan to end the war, including Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The meeting takes place against the backdrop of Russian air attacks and disagreements on key issues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump will meet in Florida on Sunday to develop a plan to end the war in Ukraine, but "face major differences on crucial issues and provocations from Russian air attacks," Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
On Saturday, Russia launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine, leaving parts of the capital without electricity and heating. Zelenskyy called this Russia's response to ongoing US-brokered peace efforts.
Zelenskyy told reporters that he plans to discuss the fate of the disputed Donbas region in eastern Ukraine during the meeting at Trump's Florida residence, as well as the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and other topics.
The President of Ukraine and his delegation arrived in Florida late Saturday, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia announced on X.
"Good evening, Florida!" Kyslytsia wrote, accompanying the post with a photo of a plane with the US president's surname on the fuselage.
Moscow has repeatedly insisted that Ukraine cede all of Donbas, even territories under Ukrainian control, and Russian officials have objected to other parts of the latest proposal, raising doubts as to whether Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin will accept any outcome of Sunday's talks, the publication writes.
On Friday, the President of Ukraine told Axios that he still hopes to soften the US proposal for a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas. If that fails, Zelenskyy said the entire 20-point plan, the result of weeks of negotiations, should be put to a referendum, the publication writes.
Axios reported that US officials view Zelenskyy's willingness to hold a referendum as a significant step forward and a sign that he no longer rules out territorial concessions, although he said Russia would need to agree to a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to prepare for and hold such a vote, the publication indicates. A recent poll shows that Ukrainian voters may also reject the plan, the publication notes.
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Zelenskyy's personal meeting with Trump, scheduled for 1:00 PM (8:00 PM Kyiv time), will take place after weeks of diplomatic efforts. European allies, though at times detached from the process, have stepped up efforts to outline the contours of post-war security guarantees for Ukraine that would be supported by the United States, the publication writes.
"Kyiv and Washington have reached agreement on many issues, and Zelenskyy said on Friday that the 20-point plan is 90% ready. But the question of what territory, if any, will be transferred to Russia remains unresolved," the publication states.
While "Moscow insists on getting all of Donbas, Kyiv wants the map to be frozen at the current front lines." "The United States, seeking a compromise, has proposed creating a free economic zone if Ukraine withdraws from this region, although it remains unclear how this zone would function in practice," the publication indicates.
Ukrainian officials and European leaders view the war as an imperial-style land grab by Moscow and warn that if Russia gets its way in Ukraine, it will one day attack NATO members.
Saturday's air attacks show that Putin does not want peace, Zelenskyy told reporters after arriving in Halifax, where he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In a brief statement he made while standing next to Zelenskyy, Carney said that peace "requires Russia's willingness." "The barbarity we witnessed tonight - the attack on Kyiv - shows how important it is that we stand with Ukraine in this difficult time," Carney said, pledging an additional C$2.5 billion (US$1.83 billion) in economic aid to Ukraine.
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who spoke with Zelenskyy along with other European leaders on Saturday, said on X that their common goal remains "a just and lasting peace" that preserves Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity while strengthening the country's security and defense capabilities.
Zelenskyy said he would speak with European leaders again after meeting with Trump.