Dalena Reporters l December 27, 2025
Russia has publicly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan and stance ahead of a scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, intensifying geopolitical tensions as leaders push for progress on ending the war in Ukraine. The planned talks come as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to finalise a peace proposal aimed at freezing hostilities and addressing core issues of the nearly four-year conflict.
According to reports, the peace plan under discussion, developed with Ukraine’s input and involving separate U.S.–Ukraine bilateral security guarantees, economic cooperation and reconstruction measures, represents a shift from earlier proposals. It has acknowledged the possibility of territorial concessions and changes around sensitive matters such as the Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russian officials have criticised aspects of the strategy, signalling Moscow’s resistance to elements of the plan that diverge from previous understandings with Washington and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov conveyed Moscow’s stance on Russian television, asserting that any agreement must adhere to the limits outlined by Trump and Putin during earlier meetings, otherwise a final deal remains elusive. He also accused Kyiv’s European partners of undermining the process by opposing certain terms of the peace framework.
Zelensky has maintained that disagreements persist between Kyiv and Washington over territorial control and the status of key infrastructure, emphasising that Ukraine would only consider territorial changes if approved by its people in a referendum. At the same time, Kyiv secured some concessions in the draft plan, including the removal of requirements for Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO.
The heightened rhetoric from Moscow underscores ongoing friction ahead of the diplomatic meeting, reflecting Russia’s continued hardline positions even as global leaders seek a negotiated end to the conflict in Europe’s most devastating war in decades.