Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Steve Witkoff, who advised Russian leaders on how to approach US president Donald Trump, and European leaders this week.
Intense peace negotiations among Ukraine, the United States, NATO, and the European Union continue to take place beyond the initial Thanksgiving deadline.
European Leaders Speak with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
On Monday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited France and met with French president Emmanuel Macron to discuss recent progress in the ongoing peace negotiations.
“We had a very productive discussion on key priorities with our European friends. The format is truly useful — a significant part of Europe together — and it greatly helps Europe defend our shared interests,” Zelenskyy said on a post on social media.
The two leaders also spoke with Ukrainian secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, who heads the Ukrainian delegation, as well as US special envoy Steve Witkoff. British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was also on that call.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have backed Ukraine firmly with words and actions throughout the conflict. The three European powers remain committed to enabling Ukraine to end the war fairly.
Zelenskyy indicated that he will meet with Witkoff in person to discuss the peace plan. Although appointed by President Donald Trump as his lead envoy in the Ukraine-Russia peace talks, Witkoff was embroiled in a scandal after his phone conversations with Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide, were leaked to the press. During his calls with Ushakov, Witkoff advised the Russian official on how to deal with Trump for a more favorable outcome.
In addition to France and the United Kingdom, officials from Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, the European Commission, the European Council, and NATO joined the Ukrainian president in discussing the substance of the Ukrainian delegation’s talks with the United States in Florida.
Zelenskyy added that he will be holding additional meetings with European and NATO leaders over the coming days to discuss the ongoing peace negotiations.
What Ukraine Wants from a Peace Deal
“We [Ukraine and Europe] share the view that the war must be brought to a fair end,” Zelenskyy concluded.
But what does a fair end mean in practice?
Russia is the aggressor in this conflict. Unprovoked, it illegally invaded its neighbor in an attempt to overthrow the democratically elected Ukrainian government and replace it with a puppet state. The Kremlin also planned—and has somewhat succeeded—in annexing Ukrainian territory, including the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk Oblasts in southeastern Ukraine. This is in addition to the Crimean Peninsula, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014.
So, a fair end for Ukraine would likely mean getting some—if not all—of that territory back. Equally important to Ukraine is its future. There is little sense in getting territory back for Russia to invade again in the future. Ensuring that does not happen requires assurances from Kyiv’s partners, including the United States and, potentially, NATO.
Ukraine places heavy emphasis on developing security guarantees as part of any final peace settlement.
Naturally, NATO and the United States are hesitant to extend security guarantees to Kyiv that would entangle them in a future conflict with Russia.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.com / Juergen Nowak
