Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky positively evaluated the conversation he had with U.S. ambassadors on ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelensky said Thursday’s call with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which lasted nearly an hour, resulted in “new ideas in terms of formats, meetings and timing about how to bring real peace closer.” He later added that he would hold another meeting with President Donald Trump “in the near future.”
Earlier this week, Zelensky provided details of an updated 20-point peace plan agreed upon by U.S. and Ukrainian envoys to Florida.
The Kremlin said it was analyzing the proposal brought by the Russian envoy from the United States.
President Trump and his special envoy have been holding talks with Ukraine and Russia to reach a deal to end the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
There appears to have been some progress recently, with Ukraine’s president praising the “good ideas” presented by Witkov and Trump’s son-in-law Kushner.
Prime Minister Zelenskyy said it had been an “active day” for his country’s diplomacy as he discussed details with U.S. ambassadors.
“There is still work to be done on this sensitive issue,” he acknowledged, but added, “We understand how to do all of this together with the U.S. team.”
Zelensky added that top negotiator Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s top security official, “will continue discussions with the U.S. team.”
The 20-point peace plan agreed to by the United States and Ukraine is seen as an update to an earlier draft prepared by Witkoff several weeks ago.
The draft is widely seen as largely tailored to Russia’s maximalist pre-invasion demands, and Kiev and its European allies say it would effectively mean Ukraine’s surrender.
Explaining the updated proposal on Wednesday, Prime Minister Zelenskyy said Russia proposed withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the east and creating a demilitarized zone in its place.
He said the plan now includes security guarantees from the United States, NATO and European countries for a coordinated military response if Russia invades Ukraine again.
In response to a key question about Ukraine’s industrial eastern Donetsk region, Prime Minister Zelenskyy said a “free economic zone” was a potential option. He emphasized that all areas where Ukrainian troops have withdrawn must be under Ukrainian security.
Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk region and about 99% of the neighboring Luhansk region. They are collectively known as Donbas.
Zelenskiy has been under intense pressure from President Trump to cede all of Donbas to Russia while U.S.-led peace talks are underway.
The Ukrainian leader has so far refused to make any territorial concessions, instead demanding ironclad security guarantees for Ukraine in any potential agreement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia will occupy Donbas if Ukrainian troops do not leave it.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Moscow was studying a proposal brought by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev from the United States.
“We are reviewing this data and will continue to communicate with the American people as the head of state determines,” he said.
While diplomatic efforts to end the conflict advance, fighting continues on the ground.
Ukraine’s military said it had struck one of Russia’s main oil refineries in the southern Rostov region with a cruise missile on Thursday.
The Novosakhtinsk refinery near the Ukrainian border is critical to fueling Russia’s military operations in occupied eastern Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had taken control of the Svyatopokrovske settlement in the Donetsk region.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian troops withdrew from the embattled eastern city of Sibersk.
Capturing the city brought Russia closer to the last remaining “fortified belt” cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, which are still in Ukrainian hands in the Donetsk region.
