President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, to hammer out the details of a fresh 20-point peace plan.
In a comment to US news outlet Axios, Zelensky said that he would propose to Trump to put the entire peace plan to a referendum if Russian leader Vladimir Putin agrees to a ceasefire of at least 60-days.
Putin and Russian officials speaking for him have repeatedly said that Moscow would not cease fire until a peace plan that addressed “root causes” was agreed upon.
Holding a referendum, even in the event of any ceasefire, would have political, logistical and security risks. Ukrainian officials assess that 60 days is the minimum for preparation.
The Ukrainian president’s expressed willingness to hold a referendum – which is unlikely, at best – might be viewed as a negotiating tactic. Over the past year, Zelensky has been criticized by pro-Trump allies for his unwillingness to hold elections during wartime. Even Trump has urged him as recently as two weeks ago to call some sort of election.
According to Axios, the US has proposed a 15-year pact that could be renewed. “I think we need more than 15 years,” Zelensky said, adding he would consider it a “big success” if Trump agreed with that during their meeting.
Zelensky noted that he expects to agree with the US president on a framework for ending the war. At the same time, if the parties cannot reach a “strong” position on the territorial issue, he will need the consent of the Ukrainian people.
Speaking about security guarantees, Zelensky said that Ukraine had agreed on the main parts of the documents, but “technical points” remain, in particular, the term of the agreement.
With regard to the feasibility of any referendum, Zelensky said: “It’s better to not have a referendum than have a referendum where people do not have the possibility to come and vote.”
A senior US official cited anonymously by Axios said that the Russian side is aware of the need for a ceasefire if a referendum is announced, but insists on a shorter ceasefire.
Zelensky, Trump and a group of European leaders are expected to hold a conference call on Saturday to get everyone up to speed on the talks, a Ukrainian official said. Zelensky said he hopes he and Trump can also “connect with the Europeans” during their meeting on Sunday.
The Ukrainian president said the goal of Sunday’s meeting with his American counterpart is to use all the progress made by their teams to set a framework for ending the war – including the “schedule.”
“I think now we are at the next level, and that’s why we need to negotiate with presidents,” Zelensky said. “We want to finish it as quickly as possible. That’s why I count on this meeting.”