President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington and Kyiv have reached agreement on most elements of a draft peace framework, though disputes over eastern territories and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant continue to block a final deal.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States and Ukraine have reached consensus on a wide range of issues aimed at ending the nearly four-year war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, though the most sensitive questions — territorial control in eastern Ukraine and management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — remain unresolved.
Zelenskyy briefed journalists Tuesday on the contents of a draft proposal reflecting Ukraine’s position. His remarks were under embargo until Wednesday morning. The plan, he said, blends political, security, and economic measures intended to stabilize the country while laying the groundwork for long-term recovery.
Asked about the negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would determine its position based on information provided by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with U.S. representatives in Florida over the weekend. Peskov declined to elaborate, saying Russia considers it inappropriate to conduct negotiations through the media.
At the center of the talks is the territorial dispute in the Donbas region, encompassing Donetsk and Luhansk, which Zelenskyy described as “the most difficult point.” He said these issues would ultimately require discussions at the level of national leaders. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine cede all remaining territory in Donbas not already under Russian control — a position Ukraine has rejected. Russian forces currently occupy most of Luhansk and roughly 70 percent of Donetsk.
The United States has proposed turning contested areas into free economic zones as a potential compromise. Ukraine, however, insists that any such arrangement must be approved by referendum, allowing citizens to determine their future. Zelenskyy said Kyiv is also demanding demilitarization of these areas and the deployment of international forces to maintain stability.
Another major sticking point is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, which remains under Russian occupation. The U.S. has proposed a three-way consortium involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, with equal stakes for each party. Zelenskyy said Ukraine countered with a proposal for a joint venture with the United States alone, allowing Washington to decide how to allocate its share.
“We did not reach a consensus with the American side on the territory of the Donetsk region and on the ZNPP,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the power plant. “But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been found.”
According to the draft, the current contact line — cutting across five Ukrainian regions — would be frozen once an agreement is signed. Ukraine is seeking a 60-day ceasefire to allow time for referendums and further negotiations on troop withdrawals and the placement of international peacekeeping forces.
Zelenskyy said the proposal calls for Russian forces to withdraw from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions, with international forces deployed along the contact line to monitor compliance. He also proposed designating the occupied city of Enerhodar, adjacent to the Zaporizhzhia plant, as a demilitarized free economic zone.
Discussions on the nuclear plant alone took roughly 15 hours, Zelenskyy said, noting that billions of dollars would be required to restore operations, including repairs to the nearby dam. The U.S. proposal envisions joint management of the plant, with dividends shared among the parties, while Ukraine’s alternative would grant the U.S. a controlling role in a bilateral venture.
The draft also includes strong security guarantees for Ukraine modeled on NATO’s Article 5, obligating partners to respond in the event of renewed Russian aggression. Zelenskyy said a separate bilateral agreement with the U.S. would define these guarantees, establish a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, and rely on satellite surveillance and early-warning systems.
Additional provisions include maintaining Ukraine’s armed forces at 800,000 troops during peacetime, setting a defined timeline for European Union accession, accelerating a U.S.-Ukraine free trade agreement, and pursuing broader trade arrangements involving Russia. Ukraine is also seeking preferential access to European markets and a large-scale global development package.
Zelenskyy said the economic plan aims to attract up to $800 billion through a mix of equity, grants, loans, and private investment, funding reconstruction, technology, data centers, artificial intelligence, energy, and other industries. Ukraine would retain control over how its share of funds is distributed in areas under its authority.
The draft also requires Ukraine to hold elections after the agreement is signed, a provision Zelenskyy said reflects the position of Kyiv’s partners. Ukraine is further demanding the immediate release of all prisoners held since 2014, including civilians, political detainees, and children transferred out of the country.
While significant gaps remain, Zelenskyy said the talks represent the closest alignment yet between Washington and Kyiv on a comprehensive framework to end the war.
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