Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet former U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to discuss efforts towards ending the conflict with Russia.
Focus of Discussions
The upcoming meeting is expected to center on a 20-point peace plan brokered by the United States, alongside proposals for U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine.
Concurrently, the Kremlin has reported that a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin engaged in telephone discussions with U.S. officials. Russia has committed to continuing negotiations and has indicated "slow but steady progress." However, Russia has not publicly responded to Zelensky's proposal for a mutual troop withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region.
Proposals for Resolution
Ukraine has been seeking security guarantees from the United States as part of a potential peace agreement. Zelensky has previously suggested the establishment of a demilitarized "free economic zone" as an option for areas within Donbas that remain outside Russian control.
On Friday, Zelensky confirmed receiving updates on technical talks from his lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov. He indicated that a high-level meeting with Trump was agreed upon and could lead to significant decisions before the New Year.
Prior Engagements and Diplomatic Efforts
Zelensky held an hour-long phone conversation with Trump's chief negotiators, special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, on Christmas Day. This discussion reportedly generated "new ideas" for conflict resolution.
A previous White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump in February, following Trump's return to office, was described as contentious, whereas their October meeting at the White House was more amicable.
The White House has proposed a demilitarized zone in eastern Ukraine where both sides would refrain from deploying troops. This approach aims to circumvent the complex issue of legal ownership over the disputed territory.
Zelensky stated on Wednesday that if Ukraine were to withdraw its forces by up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the eastern front line to create an economic zone, Russia would be expected to implement a similar withdrawal from Russian-occupied sections of Ukraine's industrial Donbas region. Ukraine has secured modifications to an earlier 28-point draft plan initially formulated by Steve Witkoff.
Remaining Obstacles
Key challenges in the negotiations continue to be the question of territorial control and the future status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The White House has suggested a joint arrangement for Ukraine and Russia to share the energy generated by the plant, which is currently under Russian control and is the largest in Europe.