The United States offers Ukraine 15 years of security
On 28 December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss the 18-point peace plan that could end the conflict between Kiev and Moscow. The meeting, which lasted several hours, focused on security guarantees for Ukraine.
The guarantees demanded by Zelensky
In all the meetings between Trump and Zelensky, the Ukrainian president has reiterated the importance of security guarantees for Kiev. That is why the US president has offered Ukraine protection for the next 15 years, which could be extended until a definitive peace agreement is reached.
According to the president, the guarantees are ‘fully agreed’, although they must be approved by the US Congress, and not all the details will be revealed until a legal framework is established that allows for their announcement and subsequent implementation.
This means that, even though Trump and Zelensky may reach a verbal agreement, there are still legal and political processes that must be completed before it can take effect.
Zelensky also expressed his desire for ‘any final agreement to be put to a referendum in Ukraine’, which requires a ceasefire lasting at least 60 days in order to be carried out safely. However, Russia has shown no intention of agreeing to a cessation of hostilities for such a long period.
‘The end is closer than ever’
Two months before the fourth anniversary of the invasion, Trump was optimistic, noting the significant progress made since his arrival in the White House. ‘The end is closer than ever,’ he said on his social media platform, TruthSocial. However, all eyes remain on whether or not concessions will be made on the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia, Donbas and Zaporizhia.
Meanwhile, from Moscow, Russian authorities also pointed to the positive progress of the negotiations and said they are ‘in their final phase.’
Optimism is evident, but the repeated failures of previous attempts weigh heavily on the current talks, suggesting that the end of the war in Ukraine could be a long time coming. The refusal of both sides to cede disputed territories remains the most difficult obstacle to overcome.
Meanwhile, Europe is watching the course of negotiations from which Trump and Putin have distanced themselves despite the great economic and diplomatic efforts made by the bloc's leaders.
The course of the war continues
While peace is being negotiated, tension is mounting. With Zelensky more than 8,000 kilometres from Kyiv, attacks continue and the war shows no sign of stopping. The east of the country is now the most active battlefront on the planet. Drones, missiles of all kinds and the advance of troops to key points for Ukraine's energy supply continue unabated.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, maintaining strong pressure both on the front line and on civilian areas.
According to the Ukrainian army, on 28 December there were more than 200 clashes, with air strikes, artillery bombardments and the massive use of kamikaze drones against Ukrainian positions and towns near the front line, especially in regions such as Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk.
In addition, Moscow has continued to attack critical infrastructure of the energy system in the middle of winter.