President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Italian capital, Rome, on December 9. The visit program includes an audience with Pope Leo XIV, as well as a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Other details of the official visit are currently not disclosed.
This is reported by Kyiv24
International Diplomacy and Negotiations
Before traveling to Italy, Volodymyr Zelensky was in Brussels, where he held a series of important meetings with Western leaders. In particular, the President of Ukraine, along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President of the European Council António Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, discussed issues of cooperation with American partners, prospects for peace, security guarantees, and strengthening Ukraine’s resilience.
“We discussed in detail our work with American partners on steps towards peace, security guarantees, and enhancing our resilience.”
Negotiations on the Peace Initiative
On December 8, another important meeting took place in London, attended by Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron. The negotiations focused on joint diplomatic actions with the American side, aligning positions on security guarantees, as well as issues of reconstruction and further steps in the peace process.
Last week, U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The main topic of the negotiations was the parameters of a potential peace agreement regarding the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to Putin, the Russian side did not agree with all points of the American plan.
Following this meeting, the Ukrainian delegation in the U.S. continued consultations with representatives of the Trump administration, which lasted several consecutive days.
On December 8, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Volodymyr Zelensky had not yet reviewed the American proposals for peace. He also noted that “his people are thrilled,” and that Russia is generally satisfied with the proposed plan, although “Russia would prefer to have all of Ukraine.”
Subsequently, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that the parties involved in the negotiations with American mediation still have significant disagreements regarding territorial issues.