The massive attack on Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine demonstrated that russia is not interested in peace - and this calls into question the prospects for concluding a "peace agreement" lobbied by the United States. However, it is not at all a fact that US President Donald Trump will blame the ineffectiveness of his "peacemaking efforts" precisely on russian dictator vladimir putin, and not on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with whom he is due to meet on December 28.
European officials are anxiously awaiting the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy: due to the unpredictability of the US President, hopes for a positive outcome may not be justified. CNN reports this, citing sources in diplomatic circles.
According to CNN, US officials expect the meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump to be productive and put an end to the week-long intensive negotiations between the Ukrainian and American delegations.
The official purpose of the meeting was not specified by the American side. However, the Ukrainian President told Axios that he expects to conclude a framework agreement to end the war.
Both Americans and Europeans noted that European leaders will not travel to Florida on Sunday. However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to join Zelenskyy and Trump in a phone call on Saturday along with other European leaders.
According to European officials, the Ukrainians have been pushing for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump for months. The Europeans expect a positive meeting, as they describe the current dynamics between the United States and Ukraine as productive. However, they acknowledge that the outcome of any meeting with Trump is unpredictable.
“There is no low-risk scenario when it comes to Trump,” said an unnamed NATO official.
Zelenskyy himself recently announced that he had held talks with the leaders of NATO, Canada, Germany, Finland, Denmark and Estonia to coordinate the positions of Kyiv and Western capitals.
"Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace, and we will continue to work effectively to ensure the preparation of all necessary documents as soon as possible," he stressed.
This statement, CNN added, came after Zelenskyy proposed a compromise on some of the most difficult issues that have so far hindered the "peace process."
The 20-point peace plan, finalized with the participation of Kyiv and Europe, was a continuation of the first 28-point plan, which was favorable to Moscow, which was released in November under the guise of a "US initiative." After lengthy diplomatic work involving representatives of the US, Ukraine and the EU, it took on a form in which, according to Zelenskyy, it can serve as a "fundamental document for ending the war."
However, the authors of the material doubt that Zelenskyy's concessions will satisfy the Kremlin. The fact that this will not happen has already been unambiguously hinted by the russian dictator's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who stated that the future peace agreement "could be significantly facilitated by (Ukraine's - ed.) refusal from the rest of the Donetsk Region."
Moscow's reaction to this plan is still unknown in Kyiv, as negotiations are being conducted exclusively with Washington.
However, Zelenskyy proposed to increase pressure on the aggressor in the event of its refusal from the "peace plan" finalized by the United States and Ukraine.
"If Ukraine demonstrates its position, it is constructive, and russia, for example, does not agree, then (the existing) pressure is not enough," the Ukrainian President emphasized.
Zelenskyy added that he is also going to raise this topic during a conversation with Trump.
Earlier, Ukrainian News Agency reported that Trump confirmed a meeting with Zelenskyy on Sunday. That it will take place on this very day at the US President's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
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