Ukraine has secured limited concessions in the latest US-led draft plan aimed at ending Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed. However, major disagreements over territory and Moscow’s acceptance of the terms remain unresolved.
The revised 20-point proposal, finalised by US and Ukrainian negotiators, is now under review by Moscow. However, the Kremlin has shown little indication that it will abandon its long-standing demand for a full Ukrainian withdrawal from eastern regions.
Zelensky acknowledged that parts of the document remain unacceptable to Kyiv. Still, he said Ukraine succeeded in removing clauses that would have forced an immediate withdrawal from Donetsk or formally recognised territory seized by Russian forces as Russian land.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader signalled that the proposal could allow for a partial redeployment of troops, including from areas of Donetsk currently under Ukrainian control. Under the plan, those zones could be converted into demilitarised areas, subject to further negotiations.
Crucially for Kyiv, the revised draft also removes the requirement that Ukraine legally renounce its bid to join NATO.
Zelensky presented the document during an extended briefing with journalists, citing a highlighted and annotated copy of the proposal. He said the plan recognises the current front lines in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as the de facto line of contact at the time of any agreement.
He added that a future working group would determine troop redeployments and outline the parameters of possible special economic or demilitarised zones, an idea Kyiv had previously resisted but now appears willing to consider in principle.
🇺🇦 🇷🇺 🇺🇸 Ukraine has won some concessions in the latest version of a US-led draft plan to end the Russian invasion, revealed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, though key questions remain over territory and whether Moscow could accept the new terms ➡️ https://t.co/o6GH12syMy pic.twitter.com/Qdd0kUNKzi
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 24, 2025“We are in a situation where Russia wants us to withdraw from Donetsk, while the Americans are trying to find a workable formula,” Zelensky said, referring to proposals that could balance security concerns with economic arrangements.
Nato, territory and nuclear plant concerns
US President Donald Trump is seeking to broker an end to the four-year conflict triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The war has killed tens of thousands, devastated eastern Ukraine and displaced millions.
Russia continues to press its military advantage, launching regular missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. Moscow claims to have annexed Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, in addition to Crimea, which it seized in 2014.
Read: Ukraine Faces Critical Decision as Trump Pushes Peace Plan with Russian
President Vladimir Putin has shown no public willingness to compromise, maintaining demands for a Ukrainian withdrawal and broader political concessions that Kyiv and its European allies have rejected as unacceptable.
Zelensky said any agreement involving troop withdrawals or the creation of demilitarised zones would require approval through a national referendum. He also stressed that Ukraine’s position on Nato membership remains unchanged, even as Washington has effectively ruled out near-term accession.
The draft plan also proposes joint US-Ukrainian-Russian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian occupation. Zelensky said he opposes any Russian oversight of the facility.
He further confirmed that Ukraine would not hold presidential elections until after a peace agreement is signed, despite pressure from both Moscow and Washington.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was still “formulating its position” and declined to comment on the specifics of the revised draft. Previous direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators failed to bridge the gap, and despite intensified diplomacy, both sides remain far apart on core issues.
*With additional information incorporated from AFP reporting
