Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the fate of Ukraine’s territory remains the toughest obstacle in efforts to secure a peace deal with Russia, even as Washington intensifies its diplomatic push to end the war.
Speaking in Paris after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and a joint call with European leaders, Zelenskyy reaffirmed that Kyiv’s priorities in negotiations are preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty and securing credible long-term security guarantees.
He stressed that Russia’s insistence that Ukraine surrender remaining parts of the Donbas region is “the most difficult” issue, one that Kyiv says it will never concede.
His remarks came as Ukrainian and US negotiators wrapped up two days of discussions in Florida aimed at revising an earlier draft peace plan widely criticised in Kyiv and across Europe for favouring Moscow.
The White House struck a confident tone, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the administration “feels very optimistic” about progress. Zelenskyy was more restrained, describing the talks as “very constructive” but acknowledging that “tough issues” remain unresolved.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who participated in the Florida meetings, is travelling to Russia to brief President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. He will be joined by Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Witkoff has also consulted Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov.
Putin said last week that the Americans had shown Moscow an updated draft plan, calling it a potential “basis” for an eventual agreement. The initial US-Russia proposal, leaked in November, had sparked alarm for prescribing the handling of frozen Russian assets in Europe and for limiting Ukraine’s access to EU markets, terms strongly opposed in European capitals.
Macron insisted on Monday that “no finalised peace plan” exists and stressed that any deal must be shaped with full involvement of Ukraine and Europe. He said the territorial question would “only be finalised by President Zelenskyy” and noted that issues of Russian assets, security guarantees and Ukraine’s European integration must also include EU partners.
Still, he praised US efforts to end the conflict, while cautioning that Russia has repeatedly rejected ceasefire opportunities. “They don’t seem in a rush,” he said.
Territory and security guarantees remain the core stumbling blocks. Kyiv, backed by most European governments, wants binding protections, potentially NATO membership, to prevent future Russian aggression. Moscow opposes this outright, and Trump has said Ukraine will not be allowed to join the alliance.
Meanwhile, fighting continues. A Russian missile strike on the city of Dnipro on Monday killed four people and injured around 40, according to local officials. Footage posted online showed a massive explosion beside a motorway, damaging cars, an office building, and nearby shops.
“We are trying to end this war with all our might and to end it in a dignified manner,” Zelensky said in Paris. “Russia started this war, and it must end it.”
The diplomatic offensive comes as Zelenskyy’s government faces turbulence at home. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who had been leading the Ukrainian delegation in earlier talks, resigned on Friday after anti-corruption investigators raided his residence.
He has not been accused of wrongdoing, but two cabinet ministers have also been dismissed in connection with the wider scandal. On Sunday, Trump alluded to what he called Ukraine’s “difficult little problems” while reiterating his belief that both Kyiv and Moscow want the war to end.
Source: BBC
Written By Rodney Mbua
