Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday that discussions between Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to take place soon regarding proposals to end the ongoing conflict with Russia. Russia has previously stated it would only negotiate with Washington on the matter.
In his daily video address, Zelenskyy stated that high-ranking Ukrainian officials from the military, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and intelligence agencies would participate in the talks. The aim is to find a resolution to the conflict, which is nearing its fourth year.
Earlier in the day, Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelenskyy’s office, affirmed that the President would not agree to ceding any Ukrainian territory to Russia in exchange for peace. Yermak, also the chief Ukrainian negotiator, emphasized that no reasonable person would sign a document relinquishing Ukrainian land while Zelenskyy remains president, citing it as a violation of the constitution.
Yermak suggested that establishing a line of demarcation is the only realistic topic for discussion at this time. He described a proposal reached during negotiations in Abu Dhabi as not conflicting with Ukraine’s interests and respecting its red lines.
Initial reports indicated that a previous version of the peace proposal, purportedly presented by the United States, involved Kyiv ceding the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to Moscow. This was widely viewed in Kyiv as a form of surrender. However, the text has reportedly been revised following consultations with Ukraine, which had previously declared ceding territory a red line.
On the Russian side, Kremlin sources, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax, stated that Russia expects to receive information regarding the agreed-upon points in the proposed peace plan by the time a U.S. delegation arrives in Moscow next week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that Moscow is operating under the assumption that it is negotiating this plan solely with the United States.
The Kremlin spokesperson had previously announced that the United States had presented Russia with the final peace plan, which was the result of negotiations with Ukraine. Further details are awaited as the scheduled talks approach.
