Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope to establish an agreement with US President Donald Trump regarding a framework to conclude the conflict with Russia during their upcoming meeting, Axios reported on 26 December.
In a telephone interview with the US outlet, Zelensky stated his readiness to conduct a referendum enabling Ukrainians to vote on the proposal, provided Russia agrees to a ceasefire lasting 60 days or longer.
Axios highlighted that Trump’s 20-point proposal “demands painful territorial concessions from Ukraine in the east.”
Since the 2022 invasion, Russia has taken control of large parts of Ukraine’s eastern regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
Zelensky has maintained that Russia must retreat from all Ukrainian lands to secure peace.
He told Axios that gaining public approval is necessary before retracting this stance due to the “major political, logistical and security complications” involved.
The Ukrainian leader is scheduled to meet Trump on Sunday at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to discuss the plan.
Axios noted that Washington perceives Zelensky’s newfound willingness to consider territorial concessions as a “major step forward.”
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated he might agree to exchanging some Ukrainian territories held by Russian forces, but insisted on retaining all of Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk), the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
These remarks were made during a late-night Kremlin meeting with leading business figures focused on the plan’s details.
Trump’s plan proposes a 15-year peace deal subject to renewal, while Zelensky aims to negotiate a longer-lasting agreement in their discussions.
The Ukrainian president mentioned that a two-month ceasefire would be essential to properly organize a referendum and enable voters to participate without threat from Russian attacks.
Should the referendum succeed, ratification would be required from both the US and Ukrainian legislatures.
Prior to the meeting, Zelensky and Trump are expected to hold a conference call with European leaders on Saturday to brief them on progress.
“I think now we are at the next level, and that’s why we need to negotiate with presidents,” Zelensky said. “We want to finish it as quickly as possible. That’s why I count on this meeting.”
Recently, the EU approved a 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine to support ongoing war efforts against Russia and cover government salaries in Kiev for two years.
The approval came despite a recently uncovered corruption scandal involving Zelensky’s close allies, who fled to Israel after embezzling approximately $100 million from the state-owned nuclear energy company.
According to a New York Times report, Zelensky has “systematically sabotaged” efforts to combat corruption in the country.
Original article: thecradle.co
About the Author
