Zelenskyy to meet Trump in Florida amid diplomatic push to end war

On Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, will meet in Florida to discuss territorial disputes that are continuing to prevent Russia from ending its conflict with Ukraine.

Zelenskyy stated that the discussions could be crucial as Washington redoubles efforts to put an end to Europe’s most bloody conflict since World War II when they were first announced. Before the New Year’s Eve, Zelenskyy said, “There can be many decisions.”

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The most contentious aspect of the negotiations is still territory. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under Russian control since the start of the Russian invasion, will now be discussed by Elenskyy.

We will discuss Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in relation to the delicate issues. In a WhatsApp chat with reporters, he declared, “We will undoubtedly discuss other issues.”

As it seeks full control over the wider Donbass region, including Donetsk and Luhansk, Kyiv has demanded that it renounce parts of the Donetsk region that are still under Ukrainian control. Instead of putting an end to hostilities along the current front lines, Ukraine has rejected that request.

Territorial concessions

The US has suggested creating a free economic zone should Ukraine relinquish control of the disputed area in an effort to bridge the gap, but it is still unclear how exactly that would work.

Zelenskyy once more stated that the general public would be required to approve any territorial concessions. He claimed that Ukrainians themselves must make land-related decisions, possibly through a referendum.

Zelenskyy said his conversation with Trump would be focused on improving draft agreements, including those regarding security guarantees and economic arrangements. He claimed that a 20-point peace framework was about to be developed while a security pact with Washington was about to be finalized.

After previous international commitments, which did not stop Russia’s invasion that started in February 2022, Ukraine has sought binding guarantees.

Trump has previously expressed his impatience with the pace of the talks, but he has stated that he would follow up with him if negotiations developed.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed last week that only his nation could negotiate with both parties to reach a peace agreement. He downplayed the significance of the conflict for Washington at the same time.

“It’s not our war,” he said. He claimed that the war is taking place on a different continent.

Zelenskyy confirmed he had already provided information to Finnish President Alexander Stubb regarding what he described as “significant progress” and that European leaders could participate remotely in the discussions on Sunday.

Sergey Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister of Russia, claimed that Ukraine was “torpedoing” the peace talks, claiming that Kyiv’s revised version of the US peace plan was “radically different” from an earlier version negotiated with Washington.

In a television interview on Friday, he said, “Our ability to make the final push and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party.”

Any agreement must adhere to the terms set forth at a summit in August between Trump and Vladimir Putin, which Ukraine and other European countries have criticized as being overly diplomatic in their war goals, according to Ryabkov.