US Pushes Economic Zone Plan Amid Ongoing Peace Framework Talks
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the US suggested a free economic zone in the Donetsk area as part of the continuing peace talks. During negotiations over additional security assurances, the notion to construct a buffer between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers was apparently brought up.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has sent Washington a 20-point counterproposal. He stressed that any changes to Ukraine’s borders would have to be agreed directly by the people of Ukraine through elections or a referendum.
Kyiv Pushes Back Against Territorial Concessions Proposal
The leader of Ukraine spoke out against ideas that Kyiv should remove its forces out of Donetsk on its own in exchange for Russia pulling its troops back. He said that an agreement like this would hurt national sovereignty and favor aggressiveness.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine holds around one-fifth of Donetsk and has no plans to pull out without guarantees from both sides. He made it clear that any future strategy for governing disputed areas must be based on what the people want, not what other countries want.
Washington Seeks Deal by Christmas as Tensions Mount
Reports say that US President Donald Trump wants to reach a peace agreement with Moscow by Christmas. This agreement would include papers outlining pledges to rebuilding and defense. Zelenskyy met with high-ranking US officials Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and Steve Witkoff to make the idea better.
There was a lot of debate about how to respond right away if Russia starts attacking again. Zelenskyy called these security guarantees necessary for any long-lasting peace arrangement.
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NATO and EU Leaders Warn of Rising Regional Security Threats
Mark Rutte, the Secretary-General of NATO, gave a speech in Berlin in which he said that Russia could be able to strike the alliance within five years. He encouraged member countries to raise their military spending, saying that the current scenario was a conflict at our door.
At the same time, EU countries talked about a proposal to spend €200 billion in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine recover. Belgium was worried about what Moscow may do in response.
European Leaders Push for Inclusive Peace Negotiations
After their negotiations, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Chief Mark Rutte declared that Ukraine was closer to a ceasefire than ever before. They did, however, say that any settlement must include European participation to make sure it is fair and open.
Reports from Kyiv said that European leaders agreed that Ukraine’s independence should be at the center of any peace plan and that no outside entity should decide what happens to its land.
Russia Claims Battlefield Advantage as Fighting Intensifies
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his troops were fully holding the strategic initiative and that they were making progress in the Donetsk area, including taking control of Siversk. Ukrainian military authorities quickly refuted the story, saying that most of the Russian attempts to get in had been stopped.
Ukraine also used a lot of drones to attack infrastructure, such as a Lukoil oil rig in the Caspian Sea, which stopped output from many wells.
Zelenskyy Calls for Ceasefire and Democratic Legitimacy
Zelenskyy said again at the Coalition of the Willing conference that a ceasefire was needed to organize national elections because his mandate ended last year. He said that Ukraine will not accept compromises made by other countries without public support.
The White House said that a US official would attend European peace negotiations this weekend if it seems like there is a real chance of reaching a deal. This shows that there is a fresh sense of urgency to end the war before the end of the year.
