US and Ukraine agree key steps to end war, but territorial disputes remain

The US and Ukraine have agreed on key steps to help end the nearly four-year war, but disputes over territory in the east and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remain unresolved, Ukraine’s president has said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke as the US showed the 20-point plan, hammered out after marathon talks in Florida in recent days, to Russian negotiators.

It follows weeks of talks to modify an earlier 28-point draft seen as supporting many of Russia’s main demands.

Zelenskyy said that most positions had been brought significantly closer, but two main issues remain unresolved: territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland and the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

A paramedic evacuates a resident after a Russian drone hit an apartment building during an aerial attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. / Credit: AP

Moscow is expected to respond to the proposals on Wednesday. Zelenskyy has called for a meeting with Donald Trump to resolve the remaining issues.

What does the 20-point plan say?

At the heart of the negotiations lies the contentious territorial dispute concerning the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as the Donbas.

Zelenskyy said this is “the most difficult point”, adding that these matters will be discussed at the leaders’ level.

While the official draft document has not yet been published, Zelenskyy discussed its contents point-by-point in a briefing with journalists.

Russia continues to assert maximalist demands, insisting that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory in Donbas that it has not captured – an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk.

Donald Trump has not publicly commented on the draft 20-point plan. / Credit: AP

In a bid to facilitate compromise, the United States has proposed transforming these areas into free economic zones.

Ukraine insists that any arrangement must be contingent upon a referendum, allowing the Ukrainian people to determine their own fate.

Ukraine is demanding the demilitarisation of the area and the presence of an international force to ensure stability, Zelenskyy said.

The management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – the largest plant in Europe, which is currently occupied by Russia – is another controversial issue.

The US is proposing a consortium with Ukraine and Russia, with each party having an equal stake in the enterprise.

But Zelenskyy countered with a joint venture proposal between the US and Ukraine, in which the Americans are able to decide how to distribute their share, presuming it would go to Russia.

“We did not reach a consensus with the American side on the territory of the Donetsk region and on the ZNPP,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the power plant in Zaporizhzhia.

“But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been found between us and them.”

What else is in the proposal?

Ukraine’s 20-point peace draft includes creating free economic zones along the eastern front line and demilitarising the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, with final decisions to be approved by a Ukrainian referendum.

The plan also calls for Russian troop withdrawals from Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions, with international forces stationed along the contact line to monitor the ceasefire.

Security guarantees, modelled on Nato’s Article 5, would protect Ukraine against renewed Russian attacks.

The draft also proposes maintaining an 800,000-strong army during peacetime, a timeline for EU accession, and mechanisms using satellite technology and early warning systems to oversee compliance.

Ukraine has raised concerns over joint US-Russia management of the nuclear plant, proposing an alternative with US oversight.

This involves a joint venture proposal between the US and Ukraine, in which the Americans are able to decide how to distribute their share, presuming it would go to Russia.

Zelenskyy said billions in investments are needed to make the plant run again, including restoring the adjacent dam.

“There were about 15 hours of conversations about the plant. These are all very complex things.”