Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wanted another meeting with his American counterpart Donald Trumpas Ukrainian and American officials attempt to overcome the main obstacles to peace negotiations aimed at ending the war triggered by Russia en Ukraine.
Kyiv faces increasing pressure from Washington to quickly reach a ceasefire, while simultaneously seeking strong and lasting security guarantees from its Western allies. Ukrainian authorities are currently rejecting Russian demands to cede the eastern region of Donetsk and relinquish control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky indicated he wanted to meet again with Donald Trump to assess his openness to a Ukrainian proposal that would provide US security guarantees for more than 15 years after a potential ceasefire. He also called on Washington to increase pressure on Moscow, arguing that the United States has the necessary leverage to influence Russia's position.
The discussions held this week in Paris allowed Ukraine's allies to demonstrate their political support for a ceasefire, particularly through the idea of a security arrangement involving multinational forces. Zelensky, however, stressed that these commitments still needed to be translated into legally binding agreements, ratified by national parliaments.
The territorial question remains at the heart of the deadlock. Ukraine refuses to withdraw from the Donetsk industrial region, which Russia does not fully control despite more than three years of fighting. According to Zelensky, US officials have raised the possibility of a special economic zone in parts of the region in exchange for a Ukrainian withdrawal, an option considered sensitive in Kyiv. Any territorial concession should, he believes, be subject to a national referendum.
The fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is another major point of contention. Moscow seized the site in 2022 and connected it to its own power grid. The United States has reportedly proposed a trilateral management of the facility, while Kyiv favors joint Ukrainian-American operation, with a sharing of the electricity produced.
As fighting and Russian airstrikes continue, Zelensky insists on the need for robust security guarantees to prevent any resumption of hostilities. For Kyiv, the prospect of another meeting with Donald Trump appears as a key step to clarify the American position and attempt to unblock the still fragile negotiations.
