Ukraine has presented the U.S. with a revised 20-point framework to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, adding that the issue of ceding territory remains a major sticking point in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Washington was proposing, as a compromise, the creation of a ‘free economic zone’ in the Ukraine-controlled parts of eastern Donbas, which Russia has demanded Ukraine hand over.
"They see it as Ukrainian troops withdrawing from the Donetsk region, and the compromise is supposedly that Russian troops will not enter this part of Donetsk region. They do not know who will govern this territory," he said, adding that Russia is referring to it as a "demilitarised zone".
However, Zelenskyy said there was still no common understanding on the land issue and that Ukrainians should vote on any territorial concessions in a referendum.
Kyiv, in the latest round of frantic shuttle diplomacy, is seeking to balance out a U.S.-backed plan whose original version was seen as too favourable to Moscow.
Zelenskyy added that Russia’s withdrawal from small areas in the northeastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions, as well as the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, was under discussion.
He said the contact lines in the partially occupied southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson would be frozen where they currently stand.
The U.S. has also proposed potential joint governance of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, which is currently held by Russia and which Moscow wants to retain under its control.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will send a representative to participate in talks in Europe on Ukraine this weekend if there's a good chance of making progress on a ceasefire deal.
"We'll see whether or not we attend the meeting," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"We'll be attending the meeting on Saturday in Europe if we think there's a good chance. And we don't want to waste a lot of time if we think it's negative," Trump added.
Ukraine is under mounting U.S. pressure to secure a deal with Russia, which has stepped up advances along the frontline in recent months and renewed large-scale attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Following reports that President Trump had set a Christmas deadline for Ukraine to accept the proposal, Zelenskyy said Washington had not given Kyiv a strict timeline.
"I think they really wanted, or perhaps still want, to have a complete understanding of where we stand with this agreement by Christmas," he said.
Alongside the 20-point framework, the wider peace plan will include separate documents on security guarantees, intended to prevent a future Russian offensive, and on rebuilding Ukraine’s war-damaged cities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was talking to the right people in Iran to make a deal on Tuesday (24 March), as Pakistan's Prime Min...
Pakistan offered to host talks between Iran and the U.S. to bring about an end...
Voting has ended in Denmark’s parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking a third term after a campaign shaped by t...
Türkiye is pursuing a cautious approach to the escalating Middle East conflict while maintaining regional ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa...
Traders placed more than $500 million in oil bets minutes before Donald Trump announced a delay to planned strikes on Iran, ...
Russia launched drones and missiles overnight on Tuesday at Ukraine, killing at least three people, damaging houses and triggering fires, Ukrainian officials said.
History rarely announces its turning points in bold headlines. Some of the most consequential shifts begin quietly - on the margins, away from the glare of global attention - only to reshape the centre in time. The emerging conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan is one such development.
A British nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles has reportedly taken up position in the Arabian Sea, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday (21 March). The deployment gives the UK the ability to carry out long-range strikes if tensions in the Gulf escalate.
Starting a war is easy; ending one is far harder. The maxim, often attributed to Gabriel García Márquez, has held true in Ukraine. After four years of conflict, Russia has failed to achieve its strategic aims. Now the U.S. risks a similar outcome in Iran.
The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was talking to the right people in Iran to make a deal on Tuesday (24 March), as Pakistan's Prime Minister offered to host peace talks between the two countries to bring about an end to the conflict.
Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direct talks or negotiations, contradicting U.S. claims - latest on Middle East conflict.
Violent clashes broke out between police and opposition protesters in Tirana on Sunday (22 March) as demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the Albanian government following corruption allegations against the deputy prime minister.
Afghan authorities say Pakistani jets entered northern Afghanistan, while Pakistan insists its actions target terrorism, highlighting continued strain after a temporary Eid ceasefire ended.
Voting has ended in Denmark’s parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking a third term after a campaign shaped by tensions with the U.S. over Greenland and mounting domestic concerns.
Eurozone private sector growth almost stalled this month, a key survey showed on Tuesday, adding to evidence that the bloc is already feeling economic fallout from the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran, with inflation rising and growth slowing.
China is raising domestic petrol and diesel prices under temporary measures to manage a sharp surge in global oil costs, aiming to support fuel suppliers while maintaining market stability during a period of heightened volatility.
Russia launched drones and missiles overnight on Tuesday at Ukraine, killing at least three people, damaging houses and triggering fires, Ukrainian officials said.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Monday (23 March) that Britain must plan for the possibility that the Iran war could continue for some time, and added that he had no "meaningful concerns" about energy supply.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment