Ukraine readies revised peace plan for U.S. as pressure grows for Kyiv to compromise

The French government said Ukraine’s allies – dubbed the Coalition of the Willing – would discuss the negotiations on Thursday via video. Zelensky said the meeting would include the leaders of these countries.

“We need to bring together 30 colleagues very quickly. It’s not easy, but we will succeed nonetheless,” he said on Tuesday evening.

Zelensky said talks with the United States were planned later Wednesday to focus on a document detailing Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and economic development plans. Additionally, Ukraine is finalizing work on a separate 20-point framework for ending the war. Zelensky said that kyiv plans to submit this document to Washington soon.

Ready for an election

After Trump called for a presidential election in Ukraine, Zelensky said his country would be ready for such a vote within three months if partners could guarantee a safe wartime vote and if its election law could be changed.

Zelensky’s openness to an election was a response to Trump’s comments in which he questioned Ukraine’s democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to appear before voters. These comments echo similar remarks often made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky said Tuesday evening that he was “ready” for elections but needed help from the United States and possibly Europe to ensure his security. He suggested that Ukraine could hold the vote in 60 to 90 days if this condition was met.

“To organize elections, two issues must be addressed: first, security – how to organize them, how to conduct them under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military – how they will vote,” Zelenskyy said. “And the second question is the legislative framework required to guarantee the legitimacy of the elections. »

Zelenskyy has previously stressed that the vote cannot legally take place while martial law – imposed due to the Russian invasion – is in effect. He also questioned how a vote could take place when civilian areas of Ukraine are being bombed and nearly 20% of the country is under Russian occupation.

Zelensky said he had asked his party’s lawmakers to develop legislative proposals to allow elections to be held while Ukraine is under martial law.

Ukrainians have generally supported Zelensky’s arguments and have not called for elections. According to current law, Zelensky’s regime is legitimate.

Putin has repeatedly complained that Zelensky cannot legitimately negotiate a peace deal because his five-year term that began in 2019 has expired.

US-Russian ties

A new US national security strategy released on December 5 makes clear that Trump wants to improve Washington’s relations with Moscow and “restore strategic stability with Russia.” The document also presents European allies as weak.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump’s role in Ukraine peace efforts, telling the upper house of parliament that Moscow appreciates his “commitment to dialogue.” Trump, Lavrov said, is “the only Western leader” who shows “an understanding of the reasons that made the war in Ukraine inevitable.”

Trump’s peace efforts have encountered sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

The initial US proposal was heavily skewed towards Russia’s demands. To counter this, Zelensky turned to his European supporters.

Zelensky met this week with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France in London, the leaders of NATO and the European Union in Brussels, then traveled to Rome to meet with the Italian prime minister and Pope Leo XIV.

Military aid to Ukraine

Support from Europe, however, has been patchy, resulting in fewer military aid since the Trump administration this year cut off deliveries to kyiv unless they were paid for by other NATO countries.

Foreign military aid to Ukraine declined sharply over the summer, and that trend continued through September and October, a German body that tracks international aid to Ukraine said Wednesday.

Average annual aid, mainly provided by the United States and Europe, amounted to about 41.6 billion euros ($48.4 billion) between 2022 and 2024. But so far this year, Ukraine has received only 32.5 billion euros ($37.8 billion), the Kiel Institute said.

This year, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden significantly increased their aid to Ukraine, while Germany almost tripled its average monthly allocations and France and the United Kingdom more than doubled their contributions, the Kiel Institute said.

On the other hand, the press release specifies, Spain recorded no new military aid to kyiv in 2025, while Italy reduced its low contributions by 15% compared to 2022-2024.