Skip to main content

Key issues unresolved in US-Ukraine talks on ending Russia’s war, according to Zelenskyy

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Several key issues remain unresolved in ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and the United States over a potential framework to end Russia’s war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week. Speaking about a 20-point plan under discussion, Zelenskyy outlined the most difficult points, noting that Ukraine has already conveyed its position to Washington, which is expected to communicate it to Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the Kremlin had already been in contact with U.S. representatives since Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev recently met with U.S. envoys in Florida. However, he did not reveal any details, saying only: “It was agreed upon to continue the dialogue.”

The unresolved issues include:

Security guarantees

Zelenskyy said talks continue over the nature and scope of security guarantees that would be provided to Ukraine under any agreement. He said several technical issues remain, including how guarantees would be enforced and what monitoring mechanisms would be used to ensure compliance.

Territory

Zelenskyy said the fate of the territories that Russia claims remain the most difficult issue in the talks. He did not provide details, but has repeatedly said Kyiv will not recognize Russian control over occupied regions, including areas seized since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Zelenskyy has also repeatedly stated Ukraine will not cede territories it currently controls, which Russia has publicly demanded.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Zelenskyy said the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains unresolved. The facility, Europe’s largest, has been under Russian control since early on in the war and has raised repeated international safety concerns due to fighting nearby.

Ukraine has been consistent in saying that safe operation of the station requires demilitarization of its territory, where Russia currently has troops stationed. Apart from that, Ukraine has been insisting that Ukrainian workers should be granted full access to the station, which they currently don’t have.

Details previously released in the course of the current negotiations revealed that the U.S. and Ukrainian teams are in discussion of a joint-access format, potentially between all three sides (the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia).

Zelenskyy said further discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. teams are expected, including talks in Florida, and that separate documents on economic recovery and prosperity are also under consideration.

Ukraine’s drone strikes set a gloomy tone for Putin’s economic showcase

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — A massive black cloud rising above the St. Petersburg skyline from a Ukrainian drone strike set a gloomy tone for the opening of President Vladimir Putin's annual showcase of Russia's economic achievements. With Putin set to arrive Thursday in his hometown that is hosting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Ukrainian attack a day earlier that set an oil terminal ablaze was another embarrassing blow to his efforts to minimize the impact of the 4-year-old conflict and cast it as a distant event with no effect on Russian daily life. The attack, which also targeted a naval base near Russia's second-largest city on the Gulf of Finland, underlined Ukraine’s growing capability to hit deep inside its neighbor and demonstrated that even the heavily protected city where Putin was born is increasingly vulnerable. Scores of flights were delayed or diverted at St. Petersburg’s airport and authorities cut cellphone internet service to try to prevent drone attacks.
Read Next Story