Ukraine has won several key concessions in the latest US-led draft framework aimed at ending Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, even as fundamental disagreements over territory and Moscow’s likely acceptance continue to cloud prospects for a deal.
The 20-point plan, negotiated by US and Ukrainian officials and now under review in Moscow, softens earlier provisions that Kyiv viewed as red lines. However, the Kremlin is widely expected to resist abandoning its maximalist demands, including a full Ukrainian withdrawal from occupied eastern regions.
President Zelensky for the first time outlined 20 points from his Peace Proposal for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/FnOv6wut2p
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) December 24, 2025
Zelensky acknowledged during a two-hour briefing with journalists that he “does not like” all elements of the document. Still, Kyiv succeeded in removing requirements for an immediate pullback from Donetsk and clauses that would have formally recognised Russian sovereignty over territory seized by Moscow’s forces. The revised text also drops demands that Ukraine legally renounce its bid to join NATO.
Demilitarised Zones, Delayed Decisions
While the plan does not mandate troop withdrawals, it opens the door to future redeployments and the creation of demilitarised zones, including in parts of Donetsk still under Ukrainian control. Zelensky said the latest draft would treat current troop positions in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as a de facto line of contact, pending further talks.
“A working group will convene to determine the redeployment of forces necessary to end the conflict, as well as to define the parameters of potential future special economic zones,” Zelensky said, reading from an annotated copy of the proposal.
He added that Washington is seeking compromise formulas — such as demilitarised or free economic zones — to bridge the gap between Kyiv’s refusal to cede land and Moscow’s insistence on withdrawals.
US Pressure, Russian Intransigence
US President Donald Trump is pressing both sides to conclude a deal to end the four-year war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The conflict has killed tens of thousands, devastated eastern Ukraine and displaced millions, while Russian forces continue to advance and strike cities and energy infrastructure with nightly missile and drone attacks.
Moscow claimed in 2022 to have annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — in addition to Crimea, seized in 2014. President Vladimir Putin has shown little sign of compromise, reiterating demands for sweeping Ukrainian withdrawals and political concessions that Kyiv and European allies describe as capitulation.
Zelensky conceded Ukraine could face painful choices if US military support were curtailed. Any agreement involving troop pullbacks or special economic zones would require approval via a national referendum, he said.
NATO, Nuclear Plant, Elections
On NATO, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine has not altered its constitutional path toward membership, though prospects remain slim after Washington ruled out near-term accession. Moscow has long cited NATO expansion as a core grievance.
The plan also envisages joint US-Ukrainian-Russian management of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — a provision Zelensky opposes, saying he does not want Russian oversight. He added that presidential elections would be held only after an agreement is signed, despite pressure from both Moscow and Washington.
Russia has yet to comment publicly on the revised draft. Earlier direct talks in Istanbul failed to break the deadlock, and despite intensified diplomacy, the two sides’ positions remain far apart.
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