Ukrainian President Reveals Key Disagreements with Washington Over War-End Negotiations with Russia
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that “President [Donald Trump] is extremely frustrated with both warring sides and tired of meetings that exist just for the sake of meeting,” noting that “he wants action.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed a major disagreement between Kyiv and Washington on two central points in negotiations to end the war with Russia: the fate of the Donetsk region and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
At a press conference on Thursday, Zelensky explained that Washington continues to pressure Kyiv “to concede territories to Moscow in order to stop the war that began with the Russian invasion in February 2022, which has caused tens of thousands of deaths.”
Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv: “They envision Ukrainian forces leaving Donetsk, while the supposed settlement would prevent Russian forces from entering these territories… which they now refer to as the free economic zone.”
He added: “Russia will not be asked to withdraw from Donetsk or from its positions in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, but it will pull back from Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions.”
Zelensky emphasized that any territorial settlement must have the approval of the Ukrainian people: “I believe the people of Ukraine will answer this question. Whether through elections or a referendum, there must be a position from the people of Ukraine.”
Ukraine Responds with a Revised Plan
Kyiv announced on Wednesday that it had sent the United States a revised plan to end the war, noting that it would not reveal details until receiving an American response.
The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump’s plan includes proposals to restore Russian energy flows to Europe, major U.S. investments in the Russian rare metals and energy sectors, and leveraging revenues from frozen Russian sovereign assets.
President Trump “Frustrated”
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that “the President is extremely frustrated with both sides and tired of meetings that exist just for the sake of meeting,” adding that “he wants action.”
She noted that “President Trump is communicating with both Ukrainians and Russians, but he is frustrated and wants the war to end.”
Trump had previously explained, when asked about a phone call with the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany, that he held a “vital discussion” on Wednesday with European leaders who urged him to send U.S. representatives to an upcoming meeting with Zelensky in Europe later this week.
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