🤝 In a fresh push for peace, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy handed Washington a revised 20-point plan to end the war with Russia. He laid out the details on Thursday, flagging two major hang-ups: the Donetsk region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.👇
Here's the deal: Donetsk is a contested area in eastern Ukraine, and Kyiv refuses to give up land without local input. The U.S. plan suggests Ukrainian troops pull back while Russian forces stay out, turning Donetsk into a free economic zone—a business-friendly area with relaxed rules. Zelenskyy insists on no territory concessions without a public vote, whether through elections or a referendum.🗳️
Along with the 20-point outline, there's a separate security guarantees document. Think of it as an international safety net: allies formally promise to defend Ukraine, with Parliament ratifying the deal to make it official. Ukraine insists these guarantees aren't just paper promises.💪
In a deep-dive chat, Zelenskyy synced up with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and special envoy Steve Witkoff to fine-tune the framework. Plus, Kyiv wants a post-war army of 800,000 troops—up from earlier drafts.⚔️
On the other side, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is pushing for Ukraine to stay neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free. Ukraine is tweaking a previous 28-point U.S.-backed proposal they felt leaned too much toward Moscow.
With talk of a Christmas deadline—though Zelenskyy says Washington hasn't set a hard date—former President Trump said the U.S. may send a team to talks in Europe this weekend if there's real hope for a ceasefire.❄️🎄
Bottom line: Ukraine is racing to secure a fair peace deal, but only if its citizens get the final say. We'll be watching as these negotiations ramp up!👀
Reference(s):
Ukraine presents U.S. revised framework to end conflict with Russia
cgtn.com
