Zelenskiy and Trump will discuss resolving the war in Ukraine on Sunday

As a 20-point peace framework and a security guarantee pact approaches completion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to address territorial concerns, the primary obstacle in negotiations to end the war.

In an announcement of the meeting, Zelenskiy stated that “a lot can be decided before the New Year,” as Washington spearheads attempts to quell Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, which is the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two.

Regarding the delicate matters, we will talk about the nuclear power facility in Zaporizhzhia as well as Donbas. In a WhatsApp discussion, he told reporters, “We will definitely talk about other issues as well.”

Zelenskiy is trying to dissuade Trump from accepting a U.S. proposal that would see Ukrainian military completely leave the Donbas. In separate remarks, he stated that if he is unable to persuade the United States to take a “strong” stance on territorial concessions, he is amenable to holding a referendum on the Washington-led “20-point” peace plan, provided that Russia consents to a 60-day ceasefire that would give Ukraine time to prepare for and conduct the vote.

Moscow, which wants complete control of the Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, wants Ukraine to leave the areas of the eastern Donetsk region that Russian forces have been unable to take throughout the almost four-year conflict. Kyiv wants the present combat lines to cease hostilities.

In an effort to reach a solution, the United States suggested creating a free economic zone in exchange for Ukraine leaving the region. The zone’s operation was not explained in the plan.

Territorial disputes continue to be a barrier to future agreements. Zelenskiy stated that any territorial compromises should be chosen by the Ukrainian people in a possible referendum.

Situated on the front line and under Russian control is the largest nuclear power facility in Europe, Zaporizhzhia.

LEADERS WILL EDIT DETAILS IN THE MEETING WITH US

According to Zelenskiy’s WhatsApp statement, the purpose of his meeting with Trump was to “refine things” in the drafts and talk about possible agreements on Ukraine’s economy.

Ukraine was open to signing a contract during his visit, he added, but he was not yet ready to say.

Zelenskiy stated that a security assurance deal between the United States and Ukraine was “almost ready” and that the draft 20-point plan was 90% complete.

Aware of past unfulfilled promises from partners, Ukraine is looking for strong and legally binding agreements to stop more Russian aggression.

An inquiry about Zelenskiy’s remarks was not immediately answered by the White House.

Trump, who has occasionally complained about the negotiations’ sluggish progress, has previously indicated that he would meet with Zelenskiy if he believed a significant diplomatic breakthrough was achievable.

Zelenskiy said European leaders may participate in the discussions virtually. Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, spoke with him Friday about “significant progress” in the peace negotiations.

Demands from Russia

Which peace plan recommendations Moscow would be open to accepting have not been made clear.

The Kremlin stated on Friday that Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy advisor, had a conversation with Trump administration officials following Moscow’s receipt of American suggestions regarding a potential peace agreement.

When asked how Moscow felt about the documents, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not want to comment since Russia believed public comments could jeopardize the negotiations.

Putin reportedly informed several of Russia’s leading businesspeople that he could be willing to exchange some Russian-controlled land in Ukraine, but that he wanted the entire Donbas in return, according to Russia’s Kommersant daily.

As the negotiations went on, Russia intensified its attacks on the southern Odesa area, which is home to Ukraine’s important seaports, and kept destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. A Russian attack on Kharkiv in the northeast killed two persons on Friday.

Zelenskiy stated that he will discuss the matter of applying more pressure on Russia with Trump.