Sending a clear message of strength, the US president set the stage ahead of his crucial meeting with , expected to take place at the weekend in Florida.
“It has nothing until I approve it. So let’s see what he has,” Trump told Politico, implying that the final shape of any deal to end the war in Ukraine rests solely with the White House.
Despite the strict tone, the American president estimated that the meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart could prove to be “productive”, while he revealed that he expects to talk “soon” with the president of Russia as well.
The territorial at the heart of the negotiation
At the center of the Trump-Zelensky talks is expected to be the territorial issue, the biggest thorn in the negotiations to end the war. The plan being promoted by Washington foresees painful concessions from Ukraine in the east, which Kiev is trying to limit or renegotiate.
Zelensky, speaking to Axios, said that “great progress” has been made, without however hiding the difficulty of the decisions he is called upon to make. As he said, if a “strong” territorial position is not achieved, he will need to seek the approval of the Ukrainian people.
Referendum scenario with security conditions
The Ukrainian president has appeared ready to call a referendum on Trump’s plan under the strict condition that Russia agrees to a ceasefire lasting at least 60 days. As he explained, such a period of time is “the minimum” to ensure the organization of voting and the safety of citizens.
According to a senior US official, Moscow understands the need for a ceasefire in the event of a referendum, but is pushing for a shorter timetable. Zelensky himself admitted that it remains unclear whether Russia is ready to accept Trump’s plan in the first place, saying that, despite intelligence reports, he “wants to believe only the words of the leaders.”
International contacts and European coordination
Parallel to American initiatives, diplomatic mobility is intense. Zelensky discussed the developments with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who stressed the need to maintain pressure on Moscow.
At the same time, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron. According to Downing Street, the three leaders agreed to continue close coordination with partners and allies, with the aim of a “sustainable peace” in Ukraine.
Security guarantees and “technical issues”
Zelensky revealed that most points of the US-Ukraine bilateral agreements have now been finalized and captured in five documents, with a possible addition of a sixth. On the critical issue of security guarantees he stated that “we are ready”, although some technical issues remain.
One of the basics concerns the duration of the agreement. The US is proposing a 15-year pact with the possibility of renewal, but the Ukrainian president made it clear that “we need something more than 15 years”, estimating that it would be a “great success” if Trump agreed to it.
The work of envoys and political risk
Zelensky singled out Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as his own negotiating team led by national security adviser Rustem Umerov. At the same time, he left open the possibility of putting the entire 20-point plan to a referendum if “very difficult” territorial decisions are required.
The Ukrainian president warned, however, that any campaign in favor of the deal, even with Trump himself visiting Ukraine, would fail if Russian attacks continued. “The world will see the missiles,” he noted.
As Ukraine faces critical choices, Zelensky stressed that an unenforced ceasefire would undermine any democratic process. “It is better not to have a referendum at all than to have a referendum in which people cannot vote,” he concluded, capturing the delicate balance between the need for peace and the legitimacy of the decisions that will accompany it.
