Zelenskyy says coordination with European leaders continues on US-drafted peace plan

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held a joint call with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to coordinate positions on the US-drafted peace proposal for ending the war with Russia.

Zelenskyy said on Telegram he thanked the three leaders for their “principled support,” adding that discussions focused on shaping a plan that would bring “a real and dignified peace for Ukraine and all of Europe.”

“We discussed the plan for peace for Ukraine and all of Europe. We value the efforts of the United States, President Trump, and his team aimed at ending this war. We are working on the document prepared by the American side,” he said, noting that Ukrainian and European teams would continue joint work “at the corresponding levels.”

Zelenskyy underlined that Kyiv is coordinating closely with its partners to ensure that its core positions are reflected in the negotiations.

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov earlier rejected claims that he negotiated or amended the draft plan during a recent visit to Washington, saying his role was “purely logistical.”

His remarks followed a lawmaker’s publication of what he claimed were 28 points from a new US proposal, including provisions that Kyiv publicly opposes.

Axios reported that Umerov had been authorized to work on the document with US envoy Steve Witkoff and that some of his feedback was included, though a Ukrainian official told the outlet that Kyiv did not accept the plan’s key provisions.

The reported draft includes demands for Ukraine to forgo NATO membership, recognize Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk as de facto Russian-controlled, and pull back forces to create a demilitarized zone in Donbas in exchange for security guarantees modeled on NATO’s collective defense principle.

Zelenskyy has said he intends to discuss the US proposals directly with President Trump. The Kremlin maintains that no new contacts have taken place since the leaders’ meeting in Alaska in August.