Zelenskyy: Ukrainian and U.S. delegations to meet this week

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Ukrainian and United States delegations, are scheduled to meet later this week to advance discussions on a proposed ceasefire with Russia.

“Our team, together with American representatives, will meet at the end of this week to continue bringing closer the points agreed in Geneva, in a form that will lead us towards peace and security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

“The Ukrainian delegation will be well-prepared and focused on meaningful work.”

The U.S. delegation is expected to be led by special envoy Steve Witkoff. Last week, details of a 28-point U.S. peace initiative sparked concern among Ukrainian and European officials, as it reportedly included concessions on NATO membership, territorial control, and limitations on Ukraine’s military capabilities.

The original plan, initiated following a White House meeting on 18 November, was championed by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a potential “breakthrough.” Delegations subsequently narrowed the plan to 20 points during Geneva talks. Despite speculation of a rift, Vance and Rubio continue to coordinate as a unified team.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the 28-point plan as a “basis for future agreements” during a speech in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Thursday.

"In general, we agree that this could be the basis for future agreements," Putin said. "We see that the American side takes into account our position."

Putin said that some things still needed to be discussed. If Europe wanted a pledge not to attack it, then Russia was willing to give such a formal pledge, he said, though he added that it was "complete nonsense" to suggest Russia would attack Europe.

Russia, Putin noted, was being told that it should cease the fighting but needed Kyiv's forces to pull back before it could do so.

"Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they hold, and then the fighting will cease. If they don't leave, then we shall achieve this by armed means. That's it," Putin said.

Putin said that he considered the Ukrainian leadership to be illegitimate and so it was legally impossible to sign a deal with Kyiv.

It was therefore important, he said, to ensure that any agreement was recognised by the international community - and that the international community recognised Russian gains in Ukraine.

"Therefore, broadly speaking, of course, we ultimately want to reach an agreement with Ukraine. But right now, this is practically impossible. Impossible legally," Putin said.

He said that the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and the eastern Donbas region should be a topic for discussions with the U.S.

However, the peace plan has faced criticism from European countries, which are calling for revisions through a counter-proposal agreed in Geneva.

The discussions have been further complicated by leaked conversations suggesting that Witkoff appeared to advise Russian officials on responding favourably to the plan. The Kremlin condemned the leaks as “unacceptable” and potentially disruptive, while Present Donald Trump defended Witkoff’s approach as a standard negotiation tactic.

President Putin also rejected the suggestion that Witkoff had shown himself to be biased towards Moscow in peace talks over Ukraine, describing it as nonsense.

"It would be astonishing if he ... rained curses down upon our heads, was very rude and then arrived to develop ties with us," Putin said of Witkoff, casting him as a patriot defending U.S. interests.

Zelenskyy and U.S. officials continue to work on frameworks to secure guarantees for Kyiv, with final decisions on the remaining contentious issues – including territorial disputes and the scope of U.S. security guarantees – expected to be taken at the presidential level.

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