Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he hopes to reach an agreement with US President Donald Trump on a framework to end the war against Russia during their upcoming meeting, Axios reported on 26 December.
Zelensky told the US news outlet during a phone interview that he's willing to hold a referendum to allow Ukrainians to vote on the plan if Russia agrees to a ceasefire of 60 days or more.
Trump's 20-point plan "demands painful territorial concessions from Ukraine in the east," Axios noted.
Russia has occupied much of Ukraine's four eastern oblasts, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, since invading the country in 2022.
Zelensky has previously demanded that Russia withdraw from all Ukrainian territory in exchange for a peace deal.
He told Axios he needs the approval of the Ukrainian people to back down from the demand, as doing so would have "major political, logistical and security complications."
Zelensky will meet with Trump on Sunday at the President's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to discuss the plan.
Washington views Zelensky's new willingness to make territorial concessions as a "major step forward," Axios added.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he might be open to swapping some Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces, but that he wanted the whole of Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk), the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
Putin made the comments while speaking with top businessmen on the details of the plan during a late-night meeting at the Kremlin.
Trump's proposal includes a 15-year peace agreement that can be renewed. Zelensky is expected to try to secure a longer-term deal during his discussion with Trump.
The Ukrainian president said a two-month ceasefire would be needed to organize such a referendum and allow Ukrainians to turn out to vote without fear of Russian attacks.
If the referendum is successful, the US and Ukrainian parliaments would need to ratify it.
Zelensky and Trump are expected to hold a conference call with European leaders on Saturday to update them on the talks.
"I think now we are at the next level, and that's why we need to negotiate with presidents," he said. "We want to finish it as quickly as possible. That's why I count on this meeting."
The EU recently approved a 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine to continue funding the war against Russia and pay salaries of the Kiev government for the next two years.
The loan was approved despite a recent corruption scandal involving Zelensky's close associates, who fled to Israel after embezzling some $100 million from the state-owned nuclear energy firm.
According to a New York Times report, Zelensky has "systematically sabotaged" the country's anti-corruption efforts.
Original article: thecradle.co