Ukraine is preparing to present a revised peace plan to the White House, as it seeks to avoid making territorial concessions to Russia.
Kyiv is set to propose alternatives to the US after President Volodymyr Zelensky again ruled out surrendering land, saying he had no right to do so under Ukrainian or international law.
He made the comments as he met European and NATO leaders on Monday, part of a collective push to deter the US from backing a peace deal that includes major concessions for Ukraine, which allies fear would leave it vulnerable to a future invasion.
Meanwhile, the city of Sumy in north-western Ukraine was left without power overnight after a Russian drone attack. The region's governor reported that more than a dozen drones had hit power infrastructure. The latest in Russia's nightly attacks did not result in any deaths.
Zelensky's ongoing diplomatic tour of Europe comes after days of intensive talks between US and Ukrainian negotiators over the weekend, which failed to produce a deal Kyiv could agree to. Zelensky was due to be briefed on that private summit on Monday by his chief aide Rustem Umerov, who indicated he would update him on direct talks between the US and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian president was reported to be planning to send a new proposal to the Americans as soon as Tuesday, according to the AFP news agency.
On the topic of ceding land, Zelensky stated: Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything. We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have any moral right either. He has emphasized that any changes to Ukraine's borders would require authorization through a public referendum.
Elsewhere, he informed reporters that the initial 28-point plan proposed by the US—viewed as too favorable to Russia—had been condensed to 20 points. No pro-Ukrainian points were omitted, but there was no compromise regarding territory, which he highlighted as sensitive issues in discussions.
Moreover, Zelensky highlighted control of the eastern Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as critical topics. A leaked version of the US-backed plan had suggested that Ukraine cede complete control of Donbas to Russia, while also proposing a split of energy produced at Zaporizhzhia.
Following the Downing Street summit with leaders from the UK, France, and Germany, discussions centered on ramping up support for Ukraine and ensuring it obtains robust security guarantees for a potential peace deal.
The specifics of those future guarantees remain uncertain, with ongoing efforts to establish an international coalition for military support, though skepticism exists regarding proposals for troop deployment in Ukraine.
As Zelensky continues to garner support across Europe, Moscow has remarked that talks with the White House have been constructive, albeit with little evident progress toward resolving the ongoing conflict.
Trump has labeled Zelensky as the main obstacle to achieving a peace deal, asserting it as a foreign policy goal he hopes to fulfill swiftly in the upcoming presidential election.
