Zelenskyy says “very effective” peace plan to end Ukraine war could be presented to Russia within days

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says proposals are being discussed with US officials to end the peace agreement. his country’s nearly four-year war with Russia They are “very active” and could be finalized within days, after which the American delegation will present them to the Kremlin ahead of other possible meetings in the United States next weekend.

Zelenskyy warned late Monday that the draft peace plan negotiated with the US was on time lectures in Berlin at the beginning of the day it did not solve some important problems, especially what happened in the Ukrainian territory attacked by Russian forces.

US-led peace efforts appear to be gaining momentum. But Russian President Vladimir Putin may disagree with some of the proposals floated by officials in Washington, Kyiv and Western Europe, including post-war security guarantees in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on Tuesday that Russia wants a comprehensive peace deal, not an interim agreement.

If Ukraine is looking for “temporary, unsustainable solutions, we are unlikely to be ready to participate,” Peskov said.

“We want peace – we don’t want an agreement that would give Ukraine a break and prepare for the continuation of the war,” he told reporters. “We want to stop this war, achieve our goals, protect our interests, and ensure peace in Europe in the future.”

US officials on Monday said there was agreement from Ukraine and Europe on 90% of the US-approved peace plan. President Trump said, “I think we’re closer now than we’ve been,” to a peace settlement.

There are many potential pitfalls, however.

Zelenskyy also emphasized that Kyiv is issuing a law recognizing Moscow’s control over any part of the Donbas, an economically important region in eastern Ukraine made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. The Russian army is also not in full control.

“The Americans are trying to find a compromise,” Zelenskyy said before visiting the Netherlands on Tuesday. “They are proposing a ‘free economic zone’ (in Donbas). And I want to emphasize again: a ‘free economic zone’ does not mean under the control of the Russian Federation.”

The land issue remains one of the most difficult issues in the comprehensive agreement.

Putin wants all areas in the four key regions his forces have seized, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally seized in 2014, to be recognized as Russian territory.

Zelenskyy warned that if Putin rejects attempts at dialogue, Ukraine expects increased Western pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and more military support for defense. Kyiv will seek advanced air defense systems and long-range weapons if diplomacy fails, he said.

Ukraine and the US are preparing up to five documents related to the peace framework, several of which focus on security, Zelenskyy said.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey was pleased with the progress in the Berlin talks. “We are at a critical juncture in this war. The US-led push for peace is progressing, and yesterday in Berlin there were signs of progress in the peace talks that are more advanced than at any time during this war,” he said at a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

Zelenskyy was also optimistic about the talks.

“Overall, there was a show of unity,” he said. “It was really good in the sense that it showed the unity of the US, Europe and Ukraine.”

Speaking at the launch of the International Claims Commission of Ukraine in The Hague on Tuesday, Zelenskyy added: “As long as our people are still imprisoned in Russia and until the Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia are brought home, the sanctions should reduce Russia, until it shows respect for the peaceful life and rights of its neighbors. And of course, all Russian war crimes should have consequences for those who committed them.”