Zelenskyy to meet European leaders and Trump for Ukraine peace talks amid fresh strikes on Kyiv | Ukraine
European leaders will attend a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump on Saturday as part of growing pressure for a peace deal that would see Ukraine’s president travel to Florida on Sunday.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen will join a call on Saturday, a commission spokesman told Reuters, ahead of the Ukrainian president’s departure for Florida for a meeting with Trump on Sunday, which Zelenskyy said will focus on some of the most sensitive parts of the peace talks. Key sticking points include Ukraine’s security guarantees and reconstruction, as well as regional disputes over the Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Zelenskyy said on Friday that Sunday’s meeting was “specifically aimed at improving things as much as possible.” He added that the proposed 20-point peace plan is “90 percent ready.” “Our goal is to get everything to 100 percent,” Zelenskyy said. “As of today, our teams (Ukrainian and American negotiating teams) have made significant progress.”
Axios reported that Zelenskyy is ready to hold a referendum on the peace plan if Russia agrees to a ceasefire of at least 60 days. report with the Ukrainian president on Friday. Zelenskyy reportedly said that he would need to seek the approval of the Ukrainian people if he could not gain a “strong” position on the territory.
In the political backdrop, powerful explosions were heard in Kiev early on Saturday, a few hours after Zelenskyy spoke about the US meeting. According to the news of Kyiv Independent capital was attacked from Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Iskander ballistic missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that at least five people were injured in the fire in the Holosiivskyi district of the city. Power outages were reported in and around the town of Brovary in the wider region.
The Ukrainian air force also announced a nationwide air alert, saying on social media that drones and missiles were operating over many regions of Ukraine, including the capital.
Russian attacks forced Polish warplanes to engage and two airports in southeastern Poland – Rzeszów and Lublin – were temporarily closed.
The latest peace efforts follow last weekend’s diplomatic activity in Miami, where Trump envoy Steve Witkoff met separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives, as well as Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The latest plan is considered an updated version of an earlier 28-point document agreed upon between US envoys and Russian officials several weeks ago; This proposal is widely viewed as contrary to the Kremlin’s demands.
Ukraine has pressed for security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5 commitment to mutual defense as part of any proposed peace deal with Russia, but it remains unclear whether Moscow would agree to those terms.
One Interview with Politico On Friday, Trump said he expected a “good” meeting with the Ukrainian leader, although he did not offer any confirmation of Zelenskyy’s plan. “You don’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told the news site. “Then we’ll see what you’ve got.”
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov appeared on Russian television on Friday and criticized Zelenskyy and his European allies for their work on the peace plan. “Our ability to make the final move and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party,” Ryabkov said. he said. “Especially in a context where Kiev and its sponsors (especially within the European Union, which is not in favor of the agreement) are stepping up efforts to undermine the agreement.”
He said the proposal, prepared with Zelenskyy’s input, was “radically different” from points initially drafted during contacts this month by US and Russian officials. “It will be absolutely impossible to reach a definitive agreement without adequate solutions to the problems at the root of this crisis,” Ryabkov added.
