Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine and the United States are nearing completion of a framework encompassing security guarantees and economic provisions linked to a proposed peace plan, even as Russia indicates it will demand major modifications before endorsing any deal to halt the conflict.
During a Dec. 22 press briefing in Kyiv, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian and American negotiators have developed a 20-point proposal along with supporting documents that incorporate security commitments from Ukraine, the United States, and European allies. While conceding the framework has imperfections, he characterized it as a concrete advancement.
“There are 20 points of the plan, probably not everything is perfect there, but this plan is there,” Zelenskyy said. “There are security guarantees between us, the Europeans and the United States of America, there is a framework document.”
Zelenskyy noted that a distinct bilateral agreement with Washington on security assurances is slated for legislative review, mentioning that crucial annexes addressing Ukraine’s defense requirements have been substantially settled.
“I saw the first developments, there are almost 90%, to be honest, exactly those attachments that are important for us, what our army and Ukraine can count on,” he said, describing the draft as “quite decent.”
He further indicated that an initial version of an economic framework has been drafted, which he labeled an economic strategy that, combined with the security agreements, constitutes “the basic block of all documents.”
Nevertheless, Zelenskyy cautioned that diplomatic efforts have not diminished Russia’s immediate military menace. He condemned Moscow’s dismissal of a ceasefire proposal, deeming it a “bad signal,” and alerted to possible attacks throughout the holiday season.
“When Russia says there will be no Christmas ceasefire, I think that this is, in principle, always what they say, they emphasize intimidation,” Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukraine faces an air-defense shortfall and urged civilians to remain vigilant.
Reuters also reported that Zelenskyy confirmed Russian forces captured a border village in Ukraine’s Sumy region, taking dozens of civilians and 13 Ukrainian soldiers prisoner. He said Ukrainian troops refrained from striking Russian forces because civilians were present. Reuters noted it could not independently verify the account and that Russia had not commented.
On the Russian side, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the U.S. peace proposals, with Moscow expected to formulate its position in the coming days, according to Reuters and Anadolu Agency.
Bloomberg News reported that Russia views the 20-point plan agreed to between Ukraine and the U.S. as inadequate. According to a person close to the Kremlin, Moscow intends to seek key changes, including additional restrictions on Ukraine’s military, arguing that the proposal lacks provisions important to Russia and leaves many questions unanswered.
The emerging positions underline a widening gap between Kyiv’s portrayal of progress toward security guarantees and Moscow’s insistence on renegotiating core elements of the U.S.-backed plan.
Reuters contributed to this report.