Zelenskyy Says U.S.-Led Peace Talks With Russia Showing ‘Quite Solid’ Progress

KYIV, Ukraine (Journos News) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said progress in U.S.-led peace talks aimed at ending the war with Russia has reached a “quite solid” stage, with early draft proposals addressing many of Kyiv’s long-standing demands. Speaking in Kyiv, Zelenskyy cautioned that while the framework is taking shape, neither side is likely to secure all it wants after nearly four years of conflict.

The comments come as Washington intensifies diplomatic efforts to broker a settlement, even as fighting continues on multiple fronts and both sides pursue military pressure alongside negotiations.

Early drafts meet most Ukrainian demands

Zelenskyy said recent discussions with U.S. officials had produced draft proposals that broadly align with Ukraine’s negotiating position.

“Overall, it looks quite solid at this stage,” he told reporters, adding that compromises would be unavoidable. “There are some things we are probably not ready for, and I’m sure there are things the Russians are not ready for either.”

According to Zelenskyy, nearly 90% of Ukraine’s demands have been incorporated into the current draft documents. He described the talks as structured around a 20-point plan that outlines the core elements of a potential settlement, though he did not disclose specific concessions under consideration.

The negotiations are being led by the United States, which has sought to narrow gaps between Kyiv and Moscow after months of stalled diplomacy and hardened positions on both sides.

U.S. diplomacy continues amid guarded optimism

U.S. President Donald Trump has made ending the war a priority of his foreign policy agenda and has repeatedly said he wants to see the fighting stop. However, public signals from Washington have remained cautious.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he had held “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives. Trump struck a more reserved tone a day later.

“We are talking. It’s going OK,” Trump said while at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Asked whether he planned to speak directly with Zelenskyy or Russian President Vladimir Putin, he declined to elaborate, saying only: “I’d like to see it stopped.”

Zelenskyy said the U.S. negotiating team is now engaging Russian envoys and that Washington has asked participants to refrain from disclosing details while discussions continue.

Security guarantees central to Ukraine’s position

A key component of the draft proposals is a framework on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, involving European countries and the United States.

Zelenskyy said the plan envisions the Ukrainian military remaining at a peacetime strength of around 800,000 personnel, alongside Ukraine’s pursuit of European Union membership. Security arrangements would include a European military presence, led by France and the United Kingdom, with a U.S. “backstop” to ensure Ukraine’s security in the air, on land, and at sea.

“Some key countries will provide presence in these domains; others will contribute to energy security, finance, bomb shelters, and so on,” Zelenskyy said.

In addition to the multilateral framework, Ukraine and the United States are discussing a separate bilateral document on security guarantees. Zelenskyy said Kyiv is pressing for that agreement to be reviewed by the U.S. Congress, with certain technical details and annexes remaining classified.

Fighting continues as talks advance

Despite diplomatic movement, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s military commanders reported that defensive lines are holding under increased Russian pressure.

“In recent weeks, the Russian army has significantly increased the intensity of attacks, and the number of Russian losses has increased accordingly,” he said in a post on Telegram.

Ukrainian officials said their forces carried out a series of strikes deep inside Russian territory, targeting infrastructure linked to Moscow’s war effort. According to Ukrainian statements, the attacks hit an oil terminal, a pipeline, two parked jet fighters, and two ships.

Kyiv has said such operations are aimed at disrupting Russia’s logistics and undermining its ability to sustain the war, while also challenging Moscow’s narrative that it is negotiating from a position of military strength.

The killing of a senior Russian general in Moscow on Monday by a car bomb, which Russian investigators said they believe was carried out by Ukraine, underscored the risks of escalation even as talks continue.

Ukrainian strikes reported across several regions

Ukraine’s General Staff said strikes were carried out against the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal, an ammunition depot, and a launch site for attack drones in both Russian territory and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

In Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, Ukrainian officials said a pipeline, two docks, and two ships were damaged, triggering a large fire. The military did not specify the weapons used.

The General Staff also reported that a Ukrainian-made missile struck a temporary base of Russia’s 92nd River Boat Brigade in Olenivka, in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. Another strike targeted an ammunition depot in a Russian-controlled part of the Donetsk region, with the aim of slowing Russian advances there.

Separately, Ukraine’s military intelligence said Ukrainian partisans set fire to two Russian jet fighters at a base near the western Russian city of Lipetsk on Sunday evening.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 41 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three over the Krasnodar region. It did not comment on damage claims.

Russia targets Ukraine’s power grid again

As Ukraine presses its military campaign, Russian forces have continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, a strategy Kyiv says is intended to weaken civilian morale during winter.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy said energy facilities in five regions were hit overnight. Russia has repeatedly targeted power and heating systems throughout the war, a tactic Ukrainian officials describe as the “weaponization of winter.”

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 86 drones of various types overnight, of which 58 were intercepted.

The parallel tracks of diplomacy and escalating military action highlight the fragility of the current moment. While Zelenskyy described progress in U.S.-led peace talks as substantial, officials on all sides have signaled that major obstacles remain before any settlement can be finalized.