| |
Zelenskyy: Peace Proposal Ready in Days12/16 06:07
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says proposals being negotiated with
U.S. officials for a peace deal to end his country's nearly four-year war with
Russia could be finalized within days, after which American envoys will present
them to the Kremlin before further possible meetings in the United States next
weekend.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says proposals
being negotiated with U.S. officials for a peace deal to end his country's
nearly four-year war with Russia could be finalized within days, after which
American envoys will present them to the Kremlin before further possible
meetings in the United States next weekend.
Zelenskyy told reporters late Monday that a draft peace plan discussed with
the U.S. during talks in Berlin earlier in the day is "very workable." He
cautioned, however, that some key issues -- notably what happens to Ukrainian
territory occupied by invading Russian forces -- remain unresolved.
U.S-led peace efforts appear to be picking up momentum. But Russian
President Vladimir Putin may balk at some of the proposals thrashed out by
officials from Washington, Kyiv and Western Europe, including postwar security
guarantees for Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Tuesday that Russia wants a
comprehensive peace deal, not a temporary truce.
If Ukraine seeks "momentary, unsustainable solutions, we are unlikely to be
ready to participate," Peskov said.
"We want peace -- we don't want a truce that would give Ukraine a respite
and prepare for the continuation of the war," he told reporters. "We want to
stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, and guarantee peace in
Europe for the future."
American officials on Monday said that there's consensus from Ukraine and
Europe on about 90% of the U.S.-authored peace plan. U.S. President Donald
Trump said: "I think we're closer now than we have been, ever" to a peace
settlement.
Plenty of potential pitfalls remain, however.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv rules out recognizing Moscow's control over
any part of the Donbas, an economically important region in eastern Ukraine
made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. Russia's army doesn't fully control either.
"The Americans are trying to find a compromise," Zelenskyy said, before
visiting the Netherlands on Tuesday. "They are proposing a 'free economic zone'
(in the Donbas). And I want to stress once again: a 'free economic zone' does
not mean under the control of the Russian Federation."
The land issue remains one of the most difficult obstacles to a
comprehensive agreement.
Putin wants all the areas in four key regions that his forces have seized,
as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, to be
recognized as Russian territory.
Zelenskyy warned that if Putin rejects diplomatic efforts, Ukraine expects
increased Western pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and
additional military support for defense. Kyiv would seek enhanced air defense
systems and long-range weapons if diplomacy collapses, he said.
Ukraine and the U.S. are preparing up to five documents related to the peace
framework, several of them focused on security, Zelenskyy said.
He was upbeat about the progress in the Berlin talks.
"Overall, there was a demonstration of unity," Zelenskyy said. "It was truly
positive in the sense that it reflected the unity of the U.S., Europe, and
Ukraine."
|
|
