U.S. President Donald Trump stated that negotiations regarding the resolution of the situation in Donbas are progressing positively. According to him, the parties are already close to reaching agreements, but the issue has not yet been fully resolved.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“We haven’t completely solved this issue yet, but we are very close. It’s a complex topic, one of the most complicated… They (the Russians – ed.) asked for this (for Ukraine to hand over Donbas to Russia – ed.). A dispute arose over this. Positions need to be coordinated, but it seems to me that everything is moving in the right direction,” he said.
Details of the Negotiation Process
According to Trump, the issue of creating a demilitarized “free economic zone” in Donbas is also nearly resolved – the parties have come close to a compromise. The negotiations between the Ukrainian and American delegations in the U.S. lasted more than two hours, after which consultations involving European leaders took place.
According to analysts, this meeting was an important step towards achieving progress in the negotiations. It is known that Trump agreed to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky only when he saw a real prospect of concluding a peace agreement. Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Trump’s plan has already been agreed upon by 90% and there is a chance to resolve key issues by the New Year.
Main Obstacles and Positions of the Parties
The main difficulty on the path to a final settlement, according to experts, is Russia’s demand for control over the entire territory of Donbas. The American side proposed to create a demilitarized “free economic zone” in those areas from which Ukraine can withdraw its troops. At the same time, Zelensky insists on the synchronous withdrawal of Russian troops from the current line of contact and emphasizes the need for territorial concessions to be approved in a referendum.
Despite the negotiations, Russia has not yet demonstrated a willingness to accept the proposed conditions of the peace plan. Trump noted that the economic situation in Russia will force it to make concessions, although Moscow is currently avoiding specific decisions.
On December 27, the Russian leader appeared in military uniform at a meeting with the command of the Joint Group of Forces. He was informed about the alleged capture of the cities of Hulyaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region and Myrnohrad in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk. The Ukrainian General Staff believes that such activity by Russia is related to the upcoming negotiations between the leaders of Ukraine and the U.S.