Russia will seek major changes to the United States’ latest peace plan to end its war in Ukraine, including more restrictions on Kiev’s military sector, according to a person close to the Kremlin.
Moscow considers the 20-point plan drawn up between Ukraine and the US as a starting point for future negotiations, as it lacks important provisions for Russia and does not answer many questions, said the source, who requested anonymity as it is a sensitive policy.
While Russia views the current document as a fairly typical Ukrainian plan, it will look at it cautiously, the person said.
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Vladimir Putin has yet to comment on the latest proposals to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, which were drawn up after weeks of negotiations involving officials from the US, Ukraine and Russia. Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with the American team in Florida over the weekend, briefed the Russian president on the results, and Moscow will continue contacts with Washington soon, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday (24).
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky told reporters on Tuesday (23) evening that there are still differences between Kiev and Washington over territorial issues and the management of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which Russia seized at the start of the 2022 full-scale invasion.
Although Russia has not endorsed the latest version of the 20-point plan, it does not want to risk alienating US President Donald Trump by rejecting it outright. Trump said this week that talks were “going well” and that there was a chance of a deal soon, although American hopes of a deal by Christmas have failed.
Russia’s concerns include guarantees against the future eastward expansion of the NATO military alliance and over Ukraine’s neutral status if it joins the European Union, according to the source close to the Kremlin.
The plan also does not include limits sought by Russia on post-war Ukrainian armed forces and types of weapons, the source said, and does not offer clear guarantees about the status of the Russian language in Ukraine. Russia also wants clarity on the removal of sanctions and hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian state assets frozen in the West.
Russia wants Ukraine to cede territory east of Donetsk that Putin’s troops have failed to capture during nearly four years of fighting. Ukraine rejects this demand, fearing that handing over the heavily fortified area would leave it vulnerable to a new Russian attack.
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Ukraine intends to convince Trump to propose that Russia stop the war on the current line of contact, Zelenski said.
Currently, Russia suggests that it could withdraw its troops from the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolayiv, Sumy and Kharkiv, according to the Ukrainian president. But Moscow also wants Ukraine to withdraw from the area it still controls in Donetsk, which the US believes should be designated a “free economic” or “demilitarized” zone, Zelensky said.
“We are in a situation where the Russians want us to withdraw from the Donetsk region, while the Americans are trying to find a way so that this is not a withdrawal – because we are against withdrawal,” said Zelenski. Giving up any territory would be difficult for the government in Kiev as it would violate Ukrainian law and require a referendum.
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As part of the compromise, Zelensky promised to hold presidential elections “as soon as possible” after the ceasefire was reached. The truce would come into force on the day the peace agreement was signed, with monitoring by international mediators.
Ukraine will be able to maintain an army of up to 800,000 troops in peacetime, and any violation of the ceasefire by Russia would trigger U.S. security guarantees, Zelensky said.
Ukraine also won US support for a clear deadline for joining the European Union and a commitment of hundreds of billions of dollars for post-war reconstruction, as well as a new pact with Russia to protect its river and sea trade, according to Zelensky.
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The timeline for Ukraine’s EU membership is currently a bilateral discussion between the US and Ukraine, without confirmation from Europe, he said.
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