Zelenskyy ready for referendum on Trump's plan under ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to put US President Donald Trump's peace plan to a national referendum if Russia agrees to a ceasefire for at least 60 days. Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Axios ahead of a planned meeting with Trump in Mar-a-Lago.
According to the president, the main goal of the talks in the United States is to agree on a framework model for ending the war. He stressed that the parties have made significant progress, but the US plan provides for difficult territorial solutions in the east for Ukraine. Zelenskyy stressed that he wants to improve these conditions, but if a strong position cannot be reached, he believes that a referendum is the most democratic way to make the final decision.
The President noted that holding a plebiscite in wartime is associated with serious security and organisational risks. That is why, in his opinion, 60 days of a real and stable ceasefire is the minimum time required to prepare for the vote. He also warned that a referendum under constant shelling could call into question its legitimacy due to low turnout.
Zelensky said that most of the agreements between Ukraine and the US are already recorded in five documents, and a sixth may be added. The documents on security guarantees are almost ready, although technical details remain. The US is proposing a 15-year agreement with the possibility of extension, while the Ukrainian side believes that the guarantees should be longer.
The President also noted that he is not yet fully confident in Russia's readiness to accept the plan. On the eve of the meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy, the American leader and a number of European leaders are planning to hold a coordination conversation to agree on positions and a timetable for further steps.
