Zelensky attempts to rewrite Trump's peace plan rather than reject it

Ukraine's president wants to take a constructive approach to the White House proposal

- Anastasiia Malenko

Volodymyr Zelensky was in London this week to discuss the U.S.-ied peace proposals with European allies.

(AFP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the help of his European allies, has carefully crafted a response to President Trump's peace plan that essentially boils down to: Yes, but...

Zelensky is prepared to hold elections, but would need a ceasefire. He says Russia can maintain some involvement in Europe’s largest nuclear plant, which it currently occupies, but Ukraine and the U.S. should be in control. The size of Ukraine’s military can be capped, he concedes, but at its current size.

The approach has enabled Zelensky to get on board with Trump’s vision of peace—but not at the expense of political credibility at home.

“We do not betray our country, do not surrender our independence, which is important, but we are constructive,” Zelensky told reporters Thursday.

Zelensky’s negotiating hand was strengthened this week by a successful Ukrainian counterattack in the city of Kupyansk, which Russia said it had captured last month. “All our strong positions within the country translate into strong positions in the negotiations to end the war,” Zelensky said Friday during a visit to the embattled city.

This weekend presents Zelensky an opportunity to set out his case to Washington in person when he meets U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Berlin.

How the Ukrainian leader handles Trump’s demand for a quick peace will be a pivot point in Kyiv’s efforts to get an end to the war without bargaining away its sovereignty. The challenge for Zelensky has been that the 28-point plan first proposed by the U.S. in late November was created with Russian input.