US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, 28 December night after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine was “very close.” The main thorny issue remains the question of territory, namely Donbas. According to Mr Trump, European leaders are contributing significantly to the end of the war.
In a speech to journalists in Trump’s residence Mar-a-Lago, Florida, President Zelensky said they had come to an agreement on 90 per cent of a 20-point peace plan. President Trump claimed that security guarantees for Ukraine were “almost done”.
The US and Ukrainian teams are supposed to meet next week for further talks on issues aimed at ending the Ukraine war. The conflict started in full in February 2022 when Russian troops invaded the neighbouring country.
Donbas, the main point of contention
According to President Trump, the main point of contention remains the issue of territory. However, even on this point, the US President is convinced, in his own words, that a solution can be reached.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region, including those parts that Moscow has been unable to conquer militarily so far. Donbas is a large industrial and mining region in the east of Ukraine. From the economic standpoint, it is the most important part of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
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Administratively, Donbas consists mainly of the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions. Most of these territories—but not all—are currently occupied by Russian invasion forces.
Ironclad security guarantees
Although the talks in Florida were bilateral, they were preceded by a series of consultations between Presidents Trump and Zelensky and the leaders of the most important European countries, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Ms von der Leyen later mentioned that “there was good progress” and that “paramount to this effort is to have ironclad security guarantees from day one.”
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the envisaged peace plan includes US security guarantees for Ukraine for a period of 15 years. Mr Zelensky originally demanded that the United States provide guarantees for up to 50 years.
“You are welcomed anytime”
Mr Trump said he was ready to visit Ukraine, although he would prefer to conclude an agreement first. He reportedly offered to address the Ukrainian parliament if President Zelensky thought it would help. The Ukrainian president said that Donald Trump was “welcomed anytime”.
How Kremlin will react to the ’progress in talks’ remains to be seen. Russian troops meanwhile continue to attack Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, and are slowly but steadily advancing westward on the front lines.
The Russian response so far has been cautious. “The world appreciates the peace efforts of US President Donald Trump,” wrote Kirill Dmitriev, negotiator for Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the X network after Trump’s meeting with Zelensky in Florida.
