Ukraine is preparing to unveil a revamped peace proposal to the White House in a bid to avoid territorial concessions to Russia. Kyiv plans to offer alternative solutions to the US after President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly dismissed the idea of surrendering land, stressing that he has 'no right' to do so under both Ukrainian and international law. Speaking at a meeting with European and NATO leaders on Monday, Zelensky emphasized a unified effort to prevent the US from endorsing a peace agreement that could potentially involve significant sacrifices from Ukraine, raising concerns about future security vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, Sumy, a city in northwestern Ukraine, experienced a power outage following a Russian drone strike, as reported by the region's governor. Although more than a dozen drones targeted the power infrastructure, no casualties were reported.
Zelensky's ongoing diplomatic mission across Europe follows a weekend of intensive negotiations between US and Ukrainian representatives that failed to reach an agreement acceptable to Kyiv. The Ukrainian leader was slated to be updated on these discussions on Monday by his chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, who shared on Telegram details of the direct conversations between the US and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As reported by the AFP news agency, Zelensky indicated that his team might forward the new proposal to the Americans as early as Tuesday. Addressing the matter of territorial concessions, Zelensky stated, 'Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything.' He added, 'We have no legal right to under Ukrainian law, our constitution, and international law. Moreover, we lack any moral right.' Zelensky has consistently argued that any changes to Ukraine's borders would require approval through a public referendum.
In discussions with journalists, Zelensky revealed that the original 28-point plan proposed by the USāand criticized by Kyiv and European leaders as overly favorable to Russiaāhad been pared down to 20 points, as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. He stressed that no 'pro-Ukrainian' clauses had been removed from the draft, although there was no 'compromise' concerning territorial issues. Zelensky identified the control over the eastern Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as among the most delicate subjects. The original draft, which was leaked, suggested that Ukraine would cede total control of the Donbas to Russia, despite Kremlin forces being unable to seize it entirely after nearly four years of conflict. Additionally, energy generated at Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, would be divided between Russia and Ukraine, according to the draft.
Leaders in Kyiv and across Europe have acknowledged progress in refining the draft proposal in recent weeks, expressing appreciation for the Trump administration's mediation efforts to end the hostilities. However, Monday's hastily organized summit at Downing Streetāattended by Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merzāwas largely seen as a demonstration of support for Ukraine in its resistance to White House pressure. No 10 highlighted a consensus that the US-led discussions represent a 'critical moment' to escalate support for Ukraine and reiterated calls for a 'just and lasting peace... which includes robust security guarantees.'