August M
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that territorial demands remain the toughest barrier to a peace deal as U.S., European and Russian envoys escalate negotiations.
Ukraine’s president has cautioned that the most sensitive issues remain unresolved as international negotiations over a potential peace plan intensify.
His remarks came amid renewed U.S.–European coordination and upcoming high-level meetings with Vladimir Putin.
Territorial red lines
After talks in Paris with Emmanuel Macron and several European leaders, Volodymyr Zelensky said that the territorial question is “the most difficult”, noting that Moscow continues to insist Ukraine relinquish the parts of Donbas it still controls — a position Kyiv rejects outright.
European officials joined Zelensky and Macron via conference call, including representatives from Britain, Germany, Poland and Italy, who have pressed to ensure Europe remains directly involved in any eventual settlement notes news.ro.
U.S. negotiations advance
At the same time, Ukrainian and American delegations concluded two days of discussions in Florida aimed at revising a draft peace framework previously criticised in Kyiv and across Europe for favouring Russian demands.
The White House struck an upbeat tone, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt saying Washington “feels very optimistic” about the path to an agreement.
Zelensky was more cautious, describing the exchanges as “very constructive” but emphasising that several “difficult issues” remain, reports News.ro.
America and Russia
According to News.ro, Putin said last week that the Americans had shared a draft peace proposal that he considered a possible “basis” for further negotiations.
The initial version, leaked in November, drew sharp criticism in Ukraine and Europe because it aligned closely with Russia’s demands and included provisions on frozen Russian assets and Ukraine’s access to EU markets.
Europe seeks role in deal
Macron stressed that “there is no finalised peace plan” and insisted that any framework must be shaped jointly with Ukraine and European partners.
He added that issues related to territorial control, security guarantees, frozen Russian funds and EU integration require input from European governments, noting that only Zelensky can ultimately decide Ukraine’s territorial terms.
