Zelenskyy identified territorial concessions and control over the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as the two main obstacles in the negotiations. This Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been under Russian control since March 2022. Zelenskyy proposed that Russia withdraw and Kiev would then share control of the plant with the US. However, he acknowledges that Moscow would probably not agree to such an agreement.
Russia also continues to insist that Ukraine relinquish control of the roughly 30 percent of the Donetsk region that Kiev still holds.
Fear of another invasion
Ukraine is currently diplomatically trying to dissuade the US from enforcing the agreement, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to a possible further Russian invasion in the future. According to Zelensky, the US is now proposing a solution where Ukrainian forces would withdraw from certain parts of Donetsk. This territory would subsequently become a “special economic zone” or a “demilitarized zone”, with Russia pledging not to proceed further.
However, Zelenskyi argues that a unilateral withdrawal of Ukraine would not be fair and that Russia should withdraw the same distance. “What will stop (Russia) from advancing? Or infiltrating under the guise of civilians?” he asks.
Diplomatic chess
However, the negotiations are difficult – US President Donald Trump has already indicated that he sees Zelensky as the main obstacle to the rapid achievement of peace, which leads Kyiv to fear that the US could eventually push for a solution in favor of Russia. Zelenskyy defended himself by saying that “the last kilometer is the most difficult. Everything can collapse for many reasons.” The mutual relations of these two countries are so tense.
In the past, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump for his mediation efforts and hinted at the alignment of positions between Moscow and Washington. Lavrov also rejected proposals to station foreign troops in Ukraine as a security guarantee.
Zelenskyy confirmed that he had received the proposal for US security guarantees, but stressed that it was a “work in progress document”, indicating that the current offer was not enough to calm Kiev’s concerns.
“The US does not want Ukraine in NATO. They say so openly… So I don’t think they have any difficulty discussing NATO with the Russians,” Zelenskyy said. In conclusion, he expressed concern about the future of US support. “We have to be careful. We don’t know what other agreements the US may have with Russia. We will find out in time,” he added.
There are no deadlines
A meeting in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was also part of Ukraine’s efforts to reach a favorable plan for it as well. This meeting is seen by many as a demonstration of support for Ukraine against pressure from the White House. However, the American president responded by calling European leaders “weak” and criticizing them for “talking but not producing” while the war continues.
Zelenskyy confirmed that the US wants a “faster end” to the war, but according to him, there are no deadlines for reaching an agreement. Ukraine is pushing for an immediate cease-fire, but admits that after several rounds of negotiations with Russia, the Americans sided with Moscow on the issue of postponing the cease-fire. Postponing the cease-fire in favor of Russia would allow its troops to continue their slow but steady advance on the front.
At the same time, Zelenskyy admitted that the future of negotiations will be strongly influenced by the situation at the front: “A lot depends on our army – what it can hold, where it can stop the enemy, what it can destroy. This affects the entire configuration.”
Meanwhile, the fighting at the front continues to escalate. Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Tuesday that Russian forces were advancing along the front line and targeting Myrnohrad, near the strategically important city of Pokrovsk. Moscow claims to have captured Pokrovsk, which would bring President Putin closer to gaining full control of Donbass. Ukraine denies this and says Ukrainian soldiers are still fighting in the city.
The detention of a tanker off Venezuela raises fears of war
Tensions between the United States and the authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela have reached a new high after US forces intercepted an oil tanker near the Venezuelan coast. Caracas immediately described this operation as an “act of international piracy”, and fears of a possible armed conflict continue to deepen.
The latest incident was preceded by the deployment of the largest US military force in the Caribbean since the end of the Cold War. Washington described it as an anti-drug operation, but analysts describe it as strong pressure for regime change in Caracas. Even then, there were reports of strikes against Venezuelan vessels, which the US described as actions against “narco-terrorists”.
The climax of the tension was the detention of the oil tanker. US Attorney General Pam Bondi released footage from the action reminiscent of an action movie. According to Washington, the strike was aimed at a vessel that had been sanctioned for years for illegally transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran. Donald Trump announced that it was “the largest tanker the US has ever seized”, while he did not rule out that the United States would keep the oil cargo itself.
Although US President Donald Trump took office with a promise of peace, today he is the one who openly talks about the confrontation with Venezuela, whose leader he has long termed as a dictator he does not intend to tolerate.
You can read more about the current situation in Maduro’s Venezuela in the article by Samuel Škultéty, a colleague from the foreign editorial office:
The Bulgarian government fell. The prime minister resigned under the pressure of massive protests
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Željazkov resigned from his government less than a year after taking office. The move came after weeks of widespread street protests expressing public dissatisfaction with the cabinet’s economic policies and its perceived inability to effectively fight corruption.
The withdrawal announcement came shortly before parliament voted on a no-confidence motion filed by the opposition, and just before the country’s planned entry into the eurozone on January 1.
In a televised statement, the Prime Minister referred to the need to act responsibly and respect the will of the people. “Our coalition met, we discussed the current situation, the challenges we face and the decisions we must make responsibly,” Zheljazkov said. After a meeting of the leaders of the ruling parties, he added: “People of all ages, ethnic groups and religions have spoken out for the resignation (of the government). We must support and encourage this civic energy.”
A key factor leading to the resignation was widespread demonstrations. Tens of thousands of Bulgarians gathered in Sofia and dozens of other cities across the country to vent growing public frustration. Protesters chanted “Leave” and held banners reading “I’ve had enough!”, often accompanied by caricatures of politicians. Mass discontent ultimately led the ruling coalition to decide to resign, ending the mandate of a cabinet facing strong public criticism.
Photo of the week:
What else awaits us:
- Czech President Petr Pavel will appoint the government of Andrej Babiš on Monday in the composition proposed to him by the chairman of the ANO movement.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, today. He will also participate in the convention of her party Brothers of Italy (FdI).
- A nationwide general strike will take place in Italy today against the government’s 2026 budget bill, called for by the largest trade union, the CGIL.
- The summit of the leaders of the European Union will take place on Thursday. The main topics will be the financing of aid to Ukraine, the security of Europe and the multiannual financial framework of the EU for the years 2028-2034
