Trump Sceptical, Moscow Scoffs at Zelensky's Peace Plan Ahead of Key Summit

Commenting on Zelensky's 20-point initiative, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov remarked, "the plan - if it can even be called as such - is radically different... from the 27-point (proposal) we were working on with the US side... over the past weeks", reported RT - formerly known as Russia Today - a government-controlled international news television network, on Saturday.

The report claimed an initial Washington-drafted 28-point version, "leaked to the media in November" apparently required Kiev to relinquish parts of Russia's Donbass still under Ukrainian control, pledge not to join the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO), and cut the size of its armed forces to 600,000, with a frontline freeze in Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions. "Moscow has said that the US proposal could work as a basis for future negotiations. At the same time, Ukraine's backers in the EU signalled that they would be opposed to any major concessions from Kiev," it added.

Russia has not given any indication that it is going to accept anything less than full control over the region, underscoring the division that remains between the two sides.

The RT report followed President Trump's Friday conversation with POLITICO, where he cast himself as the ultimate arbiter of any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia as Zelensky was preparing to bring a revised plan to the Florida meeting. The plan emphasises a demilitarised zone and US security guarantees, but Russia has shown no public willingness to accept less than full control of contested areas.

The RT online report, quoting Trump's Friday interview, said the US President "pours cold water on Zelensky's 'peace plan'". It perceived Trump telling POLITICO, "So we'll see what he's (Zelensky) got" as an expression of scepticism about the Ukrainian leader's latest peace proposal to end the conflict with Moscow.

Incidentally, Trump had emphasised, "He (Zelensky) doesn't have anything until I approve it." The RT report mentioned that Ukraine's President had presented a 20-point peace framework, which included a freeze of the frontline in Russia's Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions, Moscow's withdrawal from several Ukrainian regions, and an 800,000-strong Ukrainian army backed by NATO members.

The plan also envisages "Article 5-like" security guarantees from the US, NATO, and European states to Kiev, it added. NATO's Article 5 states that an armed attack against one of its members is considered an attack against all.

With Trump positioning himself as the gatekeeper, the United States can use its diplomatic and security influence to push for a framework that secures Ukrainian sovereignty while offering enforceable guarantees. But Trump did note that Russia's economy is under severe strain.

"Their economy is in tough shape, very tough shape," he stated in the interview. According to POLITICO, Trump still believed he could have a productive meeting on Sunday.

"I think it's going to go good with him. I think it's going to go good with (Vladimir) Putin," Trump said, adding that he expects to speak with the Russian leader "soon, as much as I want".

Trump's comments came a day after Zelensky spoke with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. Zelensky called it a "good conversation".

- IANS