Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to advance peace plan, will discuss disputed points with Donald Trump

“We believe security decisions about Ukraine must include Ukraine, and security decisions about Europe must include Europe,” he said. “That framework is on the table, and we are ready to move forward together with the United States, with the personal engagement of President Trump.”

‘We’re getting very close’

At a White House event, Trump said a Ukraine deal was “very close”. “We’ll find out,” he said. “I thought that would have been an easier one, but I think we’re making progress,” according to Reuters.

Also read: White House says ‘delicate details’ in Russia-Ukraine peace plan need more talks

Ukraine’s national security chief Rustem Umerov said earlier on Tuesday that Kyiv and Washington had reached a “common understanding” on the core terms of the plan during Sunday’s talks in Geneva. He said Kyiv hoped to arrange a visit by Zelenskyy to the United States “at the earliest suitable date in November” to complete the remaining steps and make an agreement with Trump.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the United States had made “tremendous progress” over the past week in bringing Ukraine and Russia to the table, but added that some “delicate” points still needed further talks between all three sides.

A Ukrainian official told Reuters that Kyiv “supports the framework’s essence”, but that some of the most sensitive issues would need to be resolved in a meeting between the two presidents.

Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Monday that the latest US draft included “correct” points after discussions in Geneva. “The sensitive issues, the most delicate points, I will discuss with President Trump,” he said.

European reaction

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France and other EU countries were working on a joint financial support plan for Ukraine and examining the role of frozen Russian assets.

After a virtual meeting of the coalition of the willing, Macron said Ukraine needed a peace that was “serious” and “respectful of international law”, Reuters reported.

Also read: ‘Minor details to settle’: Ukraine agrees to peace proposal as US meets Russia in UAE

European governments have been raising questions about financing, enforcement mechanisms and how any agreement would fit within existing international legal frameworks.

US and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the original 28-point proposal aimed at advancing peace efforts. After the meeting, both sides said they had begun drafting an “updated and refined” version of the plan.

Zelenskyy said late on Monday that the revised document had “fewer points” and contained “many of the right elements”, according to Reuters.

Umerov said he expected further steps soon and that Kyiv hoped to complete the process during Zelenskyy’s planned US visit.