After the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Zelenskyy revealed that he had requested Trump to provide a 50-year U.S. security guarantee for Ukraine, far exceeding the current 15-year proposal. Ninety percent of the agreement has been reached, with closed-door discussions involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe. Who will ultimately lead the new order in Eastern Europe?
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that he has requested Trump to provide security guarantees for up to half a century to deter any potential future attacks by Russia.
As part of the peace plan, the proposal currently under discussion sets a 15-year guarantee period with the possibility of extension. However, in an audio message sent to reporters on Monday, Zelenskyy said, 'I hope the guarantee period will be much longer.' He added: 'We want to explore the possibility of 30, 40, or even 50 years, which would become a historic decision made by Trump.'
Zelenskyy pointed out that security guarantees confirmed by the U.S. Congress would be combined with commitments from countries in the so-called 'coalition of the willing' to jointly build an effective protective network for Ukraine. He also mentioned that joining the EU would be part of the country's security arrangements.
'Regarding ceasefire monitoring—our partners will provide support, including technical monitoring and personnel deployment. All these details will be included in the security guarantee agreement,' Zelenskyy said. He noted that both negotiation teams have reached a consensus that Ukraine needs 'strong' security guarantees from the United States.
The above remarks were made after Zelenskyy and Trump held talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last Sunday. Although Trump expressed that significant progress had been made in ending Russia's nearly four-year conflict with Ukraine, both leaders acknowledged that key issues remain unresolved.
These issues include the status of territories in eastern Ukraine and the fate of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Zelenskyy stated that Russian President Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from parts of the Russian-occupied Donbas region, an issue on which no consensus was reached during his talks with Trump. Additionally, regarding the U.S. proposal to establish a demilitarized zone or free economic zone in eastern Ukraine, including questions about who would control the territory, clarity is still lacking.
Trump said he was confident that the agreement is 'increasingly close,' although it may still take weeks to finalize without a set timeline. Zelenskyy stated last Sunday that 90% of the peace plan has been agreed upon.
Trump noted that shortly before meeting with Zelenskyy, he had a 'very productive' phone conversation with Putin. After the talks concluded, the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents separately communicated with leaders of several European countries.
Kremlin spokesman Peskov told reporters on Monday that Putin and Trump will speak again 'soon.'
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine seeks to hold a meeting with European partners and Trump in January next year, followed by a separate meeting in some form with Russian officials.
French President Macron posted on the social media platform X on Monday, stating that the 'coalition of the willing' will convene in early January to discuss support for Ukraine.
After nearly a year of unsuccessful U.S. efforts to end the conflict, Trump has indicated that he would only meet again with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia if an agreement is imminent. Currently, both sides are negotiating primarily with Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine 'does not care' about the format of negotiations with Russia but hopes Putin demonstrates his willingness to reach an agreement by halting attacks on Ukraine.
These actions are inconsistent with the rhetoric of peace he uses in conversations with the U.S. President,' Zelenskyy said. 'I have already conveyed this point to Trump.'
Putin continues to push for his 'maximum demands,' including requiring Ukraine to cede its eastern territories, areas that Moscow’s forces have failed to capture in what is Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Over the past few weeks, Ukrainian officials have been revising a draft plan initially proposed by the U.S., which contained 28 points and was considered too favorable to Russia. The latest version contains 20 points, but Moscow has warned that it includes unacceptable provisions, including terms regarding the size of Ukraine’s post-war military.
According to a source close to the Kremlin, Russia also wants guarantees that NATO will not expand further east, the establishment of Ukraine’s neutral status after joining the EU, and clarity on the lifting of sanctions as well as the handling of hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen Moscow state assets held by the West.
Editor/Doris