Zelensky says Ukraine ready to advance peace plan, will discuss disputed points with Trump

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is ready to advance a US-backed framework for ending the war with Russia and discuss disputed points with US President Donald Trump in talks he said should include European allies.

In a speech to what are known as the coalition of the willing allies, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, Zelensky urges European leaders to hash out a framework for deploying a “reassurance force” to Ukraine and to keep backing Kyiv for as long as Moscow shows no inclination to end its war.

US and Ukrainian officials have been trying to narrow the gaps between them over Trump’s plan to end Europe’s deadliest and most devastating conflict since World War Two, with Ukraine wary of being strong-armed into accepting a deal largely on Russian terms, including territorial concessions.

“We firmly believe security decisions about Ukraine must include Ukraine, security decisions about Europe must include Europe … Because when something is decided behind the back of a country or its people, there is always a high risk it simply won’t work,” Zelensky says, according to his speech text.

“That framework is on the table, and we’re ready to move forward together – with the USA, with the personal engagement of President Trump,” he adds.

A Ukrainian diplomat cautions that territorial concessions remained a major sticking point, meaning a final deal was far from certain despite accords on various specific points. “These are really tough questions for us,” the diplomat says.

Underlining the high stakes for Ukraine, its capital Kyiv was hit by a barrage of missiles and hundreds of drones overnight in a Russian attack that killed seven people and again disrupted power and heating systems. Residents were sheltering underground, wearing winter jackets, some in tents.