European leaders are buzzing with the sense that this week marks a turning point in the Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations, as Trump’s team gears up for direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a 20-point blueprint to halt the fighting.
Zelensky took to X to reveal he’s diving into discussions about “Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction and economic development” with American officials, while wrapping up details on the 20 points of a core document that could set the stage for wrapping up the conflict, crafted alongside European counterparts.
The Ukrainian president mentioned he expects to pass the updated plan to the United States “in the near future.”
These peace efforts come hand-in-hand with conversations on long-term security pledges for Ukraine and a massive economic revival strategy to help Kyiv rise from the ruins of war, as detailed in reports from the Washington Post.
All these elements are on the table with both U.S. and European representatives. In a potential compromise, Ukraine might relinquish about a quarter of the disputed Donetsk region but gain a path to European Union membership, per the same source.
President Trump didn’t beat around the bush in a Politico interview on Monday, insisting that the Ukrainians “have to play ball,” given that Russia holds the “upper hand,” if they truly aim to end the bloodshed—and he urged Zelensky to let his country vote in elections.
“They’re much bigger. They’re much stronger in that sense,” Trump said, referring to Moscow.
“I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you know, bravery and for the fighting and all of that,” he continued. “But you know, at some point, size will win, generally.”
At the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, Trump expressed to reporters that he was “a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago.”
Since then, Zelensky has ironed out the plan’s details with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, incorporating some of Russia’s tough demands like shrinking Ukraine’s armed forces and handing over the Donbas area.
Plans also include establishing a buffer zone without troops, running roughly along the existing lines where fighting has paused.
From the Kremlin’s side, spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that Russia’s view remains the same: Ukraine won’t qualify for NATO membership.
The toll of this grinding war is staggering, with nearly 1.4 million troops lost—around 400,000 from Ukraine and about 1 million from Russia—according to a June report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Zelensky announced on Tuesday that he’s open to scheduling an election within “the next 60 to 90 days” if Europe and America step up to ensure voter safety amid the chaos.
Reports indicate that Trump’s peace representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have laid down a firm deadline for Zelensky to sign on by Christmas Day.
While the White House sidestepped questions on that holiday cutoff, an official affirmed on Wednesday that Trump and his crew are pushing relentlessly for an agreement. “The president has been clear that this war has gone on for far too long and he wants to stop the k*lling,” the official said to the New York Post.
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