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Following discussions with European and US officials in Paris, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the biggest challenge facing Ukraine’s ongoing negotiations over a US plan to end the war is still to be solved.

At a joint news conference on Monday, Zelenskyy, who spoke alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, stated that Ukraine’s top priorities include protecting its sovereignty, security guarantees, and preventing concessions that would allow Russia to continue to control Ukrainian land.

He urged partners to avoid any results that “rewards the war it]Russia started,” noting that “the territorial issue is our biggest challenge.

As part of an intensifying diplomatic campaign to end the war, which Russia launched with its full-scale invasion in February 2022, officials from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom called on to meet in Paris.

According to Zelenskyy, the meeting also looked at the content of the discussions between Ukrainian and American officials the day before in the United States, noting that more meetings are being planned throughout Europe.

In the event that a resolution to end the war is reached, Macron reiterated that “Ukraine must be the one who determines its own territorial boundaries.” He also said that further discussions are planned between Washington and European allies regarding potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, also stressed the importance of a path to peace between Europe and the US. She praised Zelenskyy’s “consistently constructive approach” in a statement and expressed hope that Russia will “offer its own concrete contribution” to upcoming discussions.

diplomatic angst is exacerbated by territorial issues.

As Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, prepare for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the territorial issue is likely to be the most contentious point in the negotiations.

After those discussions, Zelenskyy has stated that he intends to speak with Trump. However, Ukrainian officials have already informed the US that Kyiv won’t accept a territory-ceded settlement.

Rustem Umerov, Zelenskyy’s adviser, told Al Jazeera Arabic, “We told the American side that it is unacceptable for Russia to continue its occupation of our territory and then demand that we grant it legitimacy.” The granting of our territory implies that any party can impose itself on another party’s sovereignty by using force to do so.

Security guarantees are still a delicate topic of discussion, according to Umerov, who stated that “we are seeking security for both Europe and Ukraine.” He added that if Russia actually engages, negotiations will be “extremely difficult,” and Moscow still thinks that “continuing the war is less expensive than ending it” is true.

Hashem Ahelbarra, a journalist from Brussels, reported on the report that “land swaps must be made between the Ukrainian people” and that no significant concessions must be made to Russia.

A draft US plan was leaked to the press in the middle of November, which raised questions in Ukraine and among its allies in Europe, who claimed the draft plan was in stark favor of Moscow.

Without making any mention of a cap on Russia, the plan proposed to limit Ukraine’s army to 600 000 men. Additionally, it forbade Kyiv from ever joining NATO, and it had plans for Moscow to maintain Ukrainian territory.

Dnipro was hit by Russian strikes.

Ukraine was the victim of yet another deadly attack earlier on Monday as diplomatic efforts grew. Russian missiles were used in the city of Dnipro on Tuesday, according to local officials, killing at least four people.

According to Vladyslav Haivanenko, the acting head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, injuries have increased to 43, according to Interfax. Ten people were reported to be seriously ill, according to him. An administrative building, several businesses, four educational facilities, several high-rise buildings, two service stations, and more than 50 vehicles were all damaged by the strike.

Before the war, Dnipro, which is located 62 kilometers away from the front line and where nearly one million people lived, was frequently targeted by Russian bombardments.

The settlement of Klynove in Ukraine’s Donetsk region was “liberated,” according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, claiming that it had advanced deeply into Ukrainian positions. These assertions have been refuted by the Ukrainian army.

In the past 24 hours, Ukraine reported that it had lost about 1,415 soldiers across the front. In the same time, Kyiv reported that it had killed 1, 060 Russian soldiers, one tank, six armored vehicles, 14 artillery systems, 239 drones, and 71 other vehicles.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s pardon request to President Isaac Herzog has received mixed reviews.