Ukraine has submitted a revised 20-point peace framework to Washington as negotiations to end the war with Russia intensify, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday. But the question of whether Ukraine will cede any of its territory remains the most contentious issue in the talks.
Zelenskiy said the United States has suggested creating a “free economic zone” in the Ukrainian-controlled areas of Donbas as a compromise, after Russia demanded a full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk region. According to the proposal, Russia would not enter the territory designated as demilitarized, but Kyiv and Washington have yet to agree on who would govern the area.
“There is still no common understanding on the land issue,” Zelenskiy told reporters, adding that any territorial concessions would require approval through a national referendum.
The revised Ukrainian plan comes as Kyiv attempts to balance a 28-point U.S.-backed proposal that many in Ukraine had viewed as overly favorable to Moscow. Alongside Donetsk, the discussions also include potential Russian withdrawals from small areas of Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions, while front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson would be frozen in place.
Washington has additionally floated the idea of joint governance of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — Europe’s largest — although Moscow insists on retaining sole control of the facility.
U.S. Pressure Grows as Russia Advances
Ukraine is facing heightened American pressure to reach a settlement as Russian forces push forward along several fronts and renew strikes on critical energy infrastructure. Reports have suggested President Donald Trump wanted clarity from Kyiv by Christmas on whether it would accept the emerging peace terms.
Zelenskiy denied receiving a strict deadline but acknowledged U.S. expectations: “I think they really wanted, or perhaps still want, to have a complete understanding of where we stand with this agreement by Christmas.”
The broader peace package will include separate documents on security guarantees and reconstruction commitments. Kyiv insists that any security pledges must be ratified by parliaments to avoid repeating broken assurances of the past.
Following meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, Zelenskiy said Ukraine also intends to maintain a large postwar army. The latest draft foresees a force of 800,000 troops — larger than what earlier proposals had envisioned.
