Zelensky says US peace plan 'looks better' with revisions but work continues

PARIS, December 3 ------ Ukraine’s president spoke optimistically about the progress of revising the Trump administration’s peace plan, saying “it looks better” and the work will continue during talks on how to end Russia’s nearly four-year war.

President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke after meeting with France’s president, the latest in discussions aimed at brokering the terms for a potential ceasefire in the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday. Witkoff’s role came under scrutiny last week following a report that he coached Putin’s foreign affairs adviser on how Russia’s leader should pitch to Trump on the Ukraine peace plan.

Zelensky’s visit to Paris followed Sunday’s meeting between Ukrainian and US officials, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as productive. The two sides have worked to revise the proposed US-authored plan that was developed in negotiations between Washington and Moscow but criticized as being too weighted toward Russian demands.

IN A "PRELIMINARY PHASE"

“It’s a process; it’s not over yet,” Zelensky said. He called the topic of Ukraine’s control over its territories “the most complicated” in discussions over the plan.

French President Emmanuel Macron said talks are still in a “preliminary phase” but called the flurry of diplomatic activity “a moment that could be a turning point” for the future of peace in Ukraine and security in Europe. After criticism from Ukraine and its European allies, President Donald Trump has downplayed his administration’s original 28-point peace framework, which would have imposed limits on the size of Ukraine’s military, blocked the country from joining NATO, and required Ukraine to give up territory. He now calls it a “concept” to be “fine-tuned.”

The French leader said he wanted to praise the US peace efforts but insisted that any peace plan can “only be finalized with Europeans around the table.” Last week, Macron urged Western allies to bring “rock-solid” security guarantees to Ukraine in case a ceasefire or a peace deal is reached. He has endorsed deploying a “reassurance force” on land, at sea, and in the air to help ensure the country’s security.

Source: channelnewsasia.com