U.S., Ukraine reach consensus on key issues to end war, but territorial disputes remain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters he would be ready to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland if Russia also withdrew and the region became a free, demilitarized economic zone monitored by international forces. The proposal, which would tackle one of the main obstacles to ending the war in Russia, is also to be put to a referendum.

A similar arrangement could be possible for the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy spoke to reporters Tuesday to describe a comprehensive 20-point plan that Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators have been hammering out in Florida in recent days, though he said many details were still being worked out.

U.S. negotiators have engaged in a series of talks separately with Ukraine and Russia since U.S. President Donald Trump last month outlined a plan to end the war – a proposal widely seen as favoring Moscow, which invaded its neighbor nearly four years ago. Since then, Ukraine and its allies in Europe have worked to bring the plan closer to kyiv’s position.

Deciding the fate of Ukraine’s Donbass region, the vast majority of which has been seized by Russia, and how Europe’s largest nuclear power plant will be managed are among the most difficult points of the negotiations.

Asked about the plan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow would outline its position based on information received by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with U.S. envoys in Florida over the weekend. Peskov declined to share further details.

Russia has given no indication that it would accept any withdrawal of its troops from the lands it has seized. In fact, Moscow insisted that Ukraine give up the remaining territory it still holds in Donbass – an ultimatum that Ukraine rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and around 70% of Donetsk – the two regions that make up Donbass.

Zelensky acknowledged that the United States had not yet accepted Ukraine’s counterproposals.

“We have brought most positions closer together considerably. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been reached between us and them,” he said.

A compromise on the free economic zone

The United States has proposed a consortium with Ukraine and Russia, in which each party would have an equal stake in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Point 14, which covers territories crossing the eastern front line, and point 12, which deals with the management of the Zaporizhzhia factory, are likely to be major sticking points in the negotiations.

Zelensky said: “We are in a situation where the Russians want us to leave the Donetsk region, and the Americans are trying to find a way so that this is not a way out – because we are against an exit – they want to find a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone there, that is, a format that can take into account the views of both sides.”

The draft stipulates that the contact line, which crosses five Ukrainian regions, will be frozen once the agreement is signed.

Ukraine’s position is that any attempt to create a free economic zone must be ratified by a referendum, affirming that the Ukrainian people ultimately hold the decision-making power, Zelensky said. This process will require 60 days, he added, during which hostilities should cease to allow the process to take place.

Tougher discussions would require determining how far troops should be pulled back, under Ukraine’s proposal, and where international forces would be stationed. Zelensky said that in the end, “people can choose: this ending suits us or not,” he said.

The draft also proposes that Russian forces withdraw from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, and that international forces be deployed along the line of contact to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

Management of the Zaporizhzhia Power Plant

Ukraine is also proposing that the occupied town of Enerhodar, connected to the Zaporizhzhia power plant, be a demilitarized free economic zone, Zelenskyy said.

For now, the United States is proposing that the plant be operated jointly by Ukraine, the United States and Russia, with each party receiving dividends from the venture.

Ukraine offered an alternative proposal, under which the plant would be operated by a joint venture with the United States, in which the Americans could independently determine how to distribute their 50 percent share.

Zelenskyy said billions in investments would be needed to get the plant operating again, including restoring the adjacent dam.

A separate annex for security guarantees

The document guarantees that Ukraine will benefit from “strong” security guarantees that mirror NATO’s Article 5, which would require Ukraine’s partners to act in the event of further Russian aggression.

Zelensky said a separate bilateral document with the United States would outline these guarantees. This agreement will detail the conditions under which security will be ensured, particularly in the event of new Russian aggression, and will establish a ceasefire monitoring mechanism.

This mechanism will use satellite technology and early warning systems to ensure effective monitoring and rapid response capabilities.

Elections, a revival of the economy

The document proposes to accelerate the conclusion of a free trade agreement between Ukraine and the United States once the agreement is signed.

Ukraine would like to benefit from privileged short-term access to the European market and a strong global development program that would cover a wide range of economic interests, including a development fund to invest in sectors such as technology, data centers and artificial intelligence, as well as gas.

Also included are funds for the reconstruction of territories destroyed during the war.

The draft proposal also requires Ukraine to hold elections after signing the agreement.