kyiv: Discussions with US representatives on a peace plan for Ukraine have been constructive but difficult, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday ahead of his planned consultations with European leaders in the coming days.
Zelenskiy held a phone call Saturday with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and is expected to meet the leaders of France, Britain and Germany on Monday in London. Further discussions are planned in Brussels.
“US representatives know Ukraine’s basic positions,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video speech. “The conversation was constructive, even if it was not easy.”
Trump said ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year and Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, remains his toughest foreign policy challenge.
Despite U.S. mediation and periodic high-level contacts, progress in peace talks has been slow, with disputes over kyiv’s security guarantees and the status of Russian-occupied territory remaining unresolved.
Moscow says it is open to negotiations and accuses kyiv and the West of blocking peace, while Ukraine and its allies say Russia is stalling and using diplomacy to consolidate its gains.
European leaders have supported a step-by-step diplomatic process for Ukraine, linked to long-term security guarantees and sustained military aid. However, Trump has focused on reaching deals quickly and sharing burdens, and diplomats warn that negotiations remain fragile and vulnerable to changes in U.S. policy.
