Kyiv and Washington have yet to reach an agreement on the future of eastern Ukrainian territories amid ongoing US-led peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
In an interview published Monday, Zelensky told Bloomberg News that talks over a US-brokered peace proposal remain stuck on “sensitive issues,” particularly security guarantees and control of the Donbas region.
He said negotiators still lack a unified position on the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, two areas where Russia has demanded Kyiv’s troop withdrawal as a precondition for any agreement.
“There are visions of the US, Russia and Ukraine – and we don’t have a unified view on Donbas,” he said.
The two regions – colloquially known as the Donbas – were claimed by Russia through illegal referendums in late 2022, with their capture remaining Moscow’s official war goal. The Kremlin has seized nearly all of Luhansk and the majority of Donetsk, but has so far failed to fully capture the latter despite massive troop losses.
Zelensky added that Kyiv insists on a separate framework to secure long-term security guarantees from Western allies, “above all the US.”
Zelensky said Kyiv needs assurances to prevent any future Russian aggression.
“There is one question I – and all Ukrainians – want to get an answer to: If Russia again starts the war, what will our partners do?”
Trump expresses frustration over stalled progress
Territorial claims remain a key unresolved issue in ongoing talks.
Zelensky’s remarks came shortly after US President Donald Trump publicly criticized Kyiv’s approach to the peace draft, saying he was “a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal.” His comments contrasted with earlier upbeat statements on Moscow’s response to the US initiative.
US mediators have been working to advance a framework for a potential settlement, though territorial clauses and the nature of Western security guarantees remain the most contentious elements.
London talks next
Zelensky made the comments while traveling to London on Monday, where he is expected to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the proposal further.
The session comes amid heightened diplomatic activity following recent meetings between US negotiators, Ukrainian officials and Russian representatives. Kyiv has repeatedly said any peace terms must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that final decisions will not be made without Ukrainian participation.