Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenkyy said negotiations over a U.S.-brokered peace initiative remain stuck on core territorial and security questions, warning that Kyiv, Washington and Moscow still hold sharply different visions for ending the nearly four-year war.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, Zelenkyy said elements of the U.S. proposal require deeper discussion, particularly provisions tied to security guarantees for Ukraine and the future of the eastern Donbas region. “There are visions of the U.S., Russia and Ukraine – and we don’t have a unified view on Donbas,” he told the outlet early Monday.
Kyiv is pushing for a separate security pact with the U.S. and key Western allies, Zelenkyy said, underscoring Ukraine’s insistence on reliable, long-term protection regardless of any peace deal with Moscow.
Zelenkyy arrived in London on Monday for meetings with British, French and German leaders as he seeks to rally European backing at a moment when Washington is increasing pressure on Kyiv to accept the draft agreement.
European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, voiced support for Zelenkyy ahead of the talks, amid rising concerns that Washington’s approach could tilt toward Moscow’s demands.
“We are starting a new diplomatic week,” Zelenkyy said in a video address recorded on a train Sunday evening. He said the London consultations will focus on security assistance, air-defense support, and longer-term financial guarantees, as well as achieving a “shared vision and common positions in the negotiations.”
The push comes as Ukraine faces one of the most challenging phases of the war. Russian forces are advancing slowly in the east, while repeated strikes on power stations and critical infrastructure have plunged cities and towns into long hours of darkness.
Washington introduced its latest ceasefire proposal last month, incorporating several elements favored by Moscow. European governments have since backed Kyiv’s efforts to revise the plan. Trump administration envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow with an updated draft last week, then met Ukrainian officials for several days of talks in Miami. Those meetings ended Saturday without a breakthrough.
Zelenkyy described the discussions as “constructive but not easy.” Trump said Sunday he was “disappointed” that Zelenkyy had not read the most recent version of the U.S.-backed proposal.
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said his team’s priority has been securing all documents and details from U.S. officials about their discussions in Moscow. He said he plans to brief Zelenkyy on the full package of proposals.
U.S. officials say they are close to finalizing the framework agreement, though neither Ukraine nor Russia has shown willingness to sign it.
