US President Donald Trump has said Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky “doesn’t have anything until I approve it”, ahead of a high-level meeting between the two leaders aimed at discussing a proposed peace framework to end the nearly four-year Russia-Ukraine war.
In an interview with Politico, Trump remarked two days before his scheduled meeting with Zelensky in Florida, where both sides are expected to deliberate on a draft 20-point peace plan. According to Xinhua, the proposal includes the creation of a demilitarised zone, arrangements for the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, territorial issues related to the Donbas region, and potential US security guarantees once the conflict ends.
Zelensky confirmed on Friday that security assurances for Ukraine would be a key focus of his talks with Trump. Speaking to reporters, he said the meeting would take place in Florida on Sunday, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
The Ukrainian President said Kyiv also plans to raise questions surrounding territorial control and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility. He added that the peace proposal is around 90 per cent complete, with several draft documents on security guarantees already prepared.
Zelensky noted that the framework involves four parties, Ukraine, the United States, Russia, and Europe, and stressed that it cannot be finalised without the participation of both Moscow and European partners.
“We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level, with President Trump in the near future,” Zelensky wrote earlier on Telegram following discussions with Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s delegation to talks with the US.
He also said that “a lot” could be decided before the New Year.
The developments follow three days of discussions last week in Miami involving officials from the United States, Ukraine, and European countries, focused on finding a pathway towards resolving the conflict.
(With IANS inputs)
About the Author
