Alperen Aktas
18 December 2025•Update: 18 December 2025
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy adds talks with Washington unresolved on Donbas region, Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and reparations loans as EU eyes year-end funding decision
ISTANBUL
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine has yet to reach an agreement with the US on key issues such as the Donbas region, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), and reparations loans, while stressing that Kyiv is still unsure how US security guarantees will work in the event of renewed conflict.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels following his meeting with EU leaders, Zelenskyy said discussions with Washington continue, but several sensitive areas remain unresolved.
“Donbas is an unresolved issue; we have different views. The nuclear power plant, which is occupied by the Russian Federation, is not working; it is destroyed, but it should work and provide electricity—our plant, our rights—this issue is unresolved. The issue of money is also unresolved,” he said.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine is still waiting for a clear explanation from Washington on the practical mechanism of US security guarantees.
“I still can’t get an answer about how exactly the security guarantees from the United States will work in the case of Russian aggression,” he said.
He also noted that European partners have not yet directly discussed providing security guarantees comparable to NATO’s Article 5 from their side.
“European partner countries have not yet talked directly about security guarantees using the example of Article 5,” the Ukrainian president said.
On financial support, he said EU leaders were informed that a decision on further financial assistance could be made by the end of the year, warning of serious risks if funding gaps persist.
“We understand that most leaders support a reparations loan, but there are leaders who support other instruments,” he said, adding that Ukraine faces a potential budget deficit of €45-50 billion.
Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv does not want financial mechanisms linked to frozen Russian assets to remain vulnerable to obstruction.
“We really do not want this instrument to remain in the hands of the Russians. We believe they will do everything to block it,” he said.
Regarding strengthening the country's defense, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would channel financial assistance toward expanding domestic drone production if the war continues, underlining the importance of technological capacity for defense.
“If the war continues, Ukraine will use financial assistance for the production of drones,” he said.
He added that work on a broader draft agreement to end the war is ongoing, with Ukrainian and US teams expected to continue discussions on security guarantees, reconstruction, and financing, while key disagreements on territory and assets remain.
