Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says recent talks with U.S. representatives on a possible peace plan were “constructive, although not easy,” as he prepares for new consultations with European leaders in the coming days.
Zelenskyy is expected in London on Monday (8 December) for talks at Downing Street alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. European leaders are seeking to secure a direct role in shaping the endgame of the war.
UK's Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said Ukraine’s security and self determination would be at the heart of the London discussions. He described the U.S.-led negotiations as being at a really pivotal moment.
In a nightly video address, Zelenskyy said U.S. officials now clearly understand Ukraine’s core positions on peace, security and reconstruction.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv would continue working in good faith with Washington and that next steps and formats for further talks had been agreed. He added that not everything could be settled by phone and that detailed work would continue through teams on security, peace and reconstruction.
His comments followed a lengthy phone call on Saturday with Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son in law Jared Kushner.
"Yesterday we spoke with Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner. I thank them for their readiness to work together 24/7. The American representatives know the basic Ukrainian positions. The conversation was constructive, although not easy," Zelenskyy said.
Trump said he had spoken both to Russian President Vladimir Putin and to Ukrainian leaders, including Zelenskyy. He added that he was disappointed the Ukrainian president had not yet personally reviewed the U.S. proposal, despite what Trump described as strong support from his team. Trump said Russia was “fine with it,” but he was not certain that Zelenskyy was yet aligned.
"So we've been speaking to President Putin and we've been speaking to Ukrainian leaders, including Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy," Trump said.
"And I have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn't yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago. His people love it. But he hasn't. Russia's fine with it," he added.
Witkoff and Kushner had just completed two days of closed door talks in Miami with Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov. Both sides described the meetings as constructive discussions aimed at shaping a credible pathway toward a durable and just peace. Witkoff was also expected to brief Umerov on his earlier visit to Moscow, where he met Putin.
After three days of talks in Miami, Trump’s outgoing Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg told Reuters that a deal to end the war was “really close,” but depended on Russia’s cooperation. He said negotiations remain stuck on two key issues, the future size of Ukraine’s army and the status of the eastern Donbas under Russian control.
Washington has been pressing Kyiv and Moscow to engage around a multi point peace plan. Early versions triggered criticism in Ukraine and across Europe for appearing too favourable to Russian demands. Those drafts included limits on Ukraine’s military, restrictions on NATO involvement and acceptance of Russian control over parts of the Donbas.
European leaders have since pushed for a step by step diplomatic track backed by long term security guarantees and sustained military aid. They have also promoted the idea of a European led security force to monitor any future agreement, a proposal rejected by Moscow.
Russia says it is open to talks and blames Kyiv and the West for blocking peace. Ukraine and its allies say the Kremlin is using diplomacy to entrench battlefield gains. Putin has ruled out territorial concessions and has warned that Russia would take the Donbas by force if Ukraine refuses to withdraw.
Trump has said ending the war in Ukraine remains his toughest foreign policy challenge. At the same time, the latest U.S. National Security Strategy did not list Russia as a direct threat to Europe. Moscow welcomed the document as a positive signal.
European officials reacted cautiously. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged Washington to preserve transatlantic unity, calling it the only realistic foundation for shared security.
Even as diplomacy accelerates, the fighting continues.
Over the weekend, Russia launched another large scale aerial attack across Ukraine. Kyiv reported a wave of missiles and drones overnight into Sunday, a day after hundreds more were fired across the country, triggering air raid alerts nationwide.
Macron expressed full solidarity with Ukraine after the latest strikes and said efforts with the Americans would continue.
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