Trump and Zelensky's meeting in Florida: finalising the US peace plan
On Sunday, 28 December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump are to meet in Florida at the Mar-a-Lago residence to finalise the parameters of a peace plan for Russia's war against Ukraine. According to Reuters, the talks will start at 13:00 local time, which is 20:00 Kyiv time.
The meeting comes amid a new wave of Russian strikes. On Saturday, Russia attacked Kyiv and other regions with hundreds of missiles and drones, causing power and heat cuts in parts of the capital. Zelenskyy called it Russia's response to US attempts to push through peace agreements.
The agenda includes the status of Donbas, the future of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and security guarantees. Kyiv and Washington have agreed on a large part of the points, and Zelenskyy previously estimated that 20 points of the plan were 90% complete, but the issue of territories remains the most difficult. Moscow demands that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas, including the areas currently controlled by Kyiv. The Ukrainian position is to fix the front line.
As a compromise, the US has proposed a model of a free economic zone in case of a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops, but the mechanics of this scenario remain unclear. Zelenskyy also allowed for the entire plan to be put to a referendum, provided there is a ceasefire for at least 60 days.
The day before, Zelensky stopped in Canada, where Prime Minister Mark Carney called Russia's strikes barbaric and announced additional economic support for Ukraine worth C$2.5 billion, about $1.83 billion. Further consultations with European leaders are also expected after the talks in Florida.
Source and photo: Reuters