Russia Lashes Out at Zelensky Ahead of New Trump Meeting

AFP/APP

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida this weekend, but Russia on Friday accused him and his European backers of seeking to “torpedo” a US-brokered plan to end the fighting in Ukraine.
Sunday’s meeting, expected to focus on fresh peace proposals, comes amid Trump’s intensified efforts to broker an agreement to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, which has killed tens of thousands since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
The latest proposal is a 20-point plan that would freeze the war along current front lines while opening the door for Ukraine to withdraw troops from parts of the east, where demilitarised buffer zones could be created, according to details revealed by Zelensky earlier this week.
Zelensky’s office confirmed that the meeting with Trump is scheduled for Sunday in Florida, where the US president has a residence.
Trump, speaking to news outlet Politico, said of Zelensky’s plan: “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” adding, “So we’ll see what he’s got.”
Ahead of the talks, Zelensky said he held telephone conversations on Friday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and several other European leaders.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the leaders “reiterated their unshakeable commitment to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and the importance of talks continuing to progress in the coming days.”
Security Guarantees
The new plan, formulated with Ukrainian input, marks Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions. It differs significantly from an earlier 28-point proposal presented by Washington last month that aligned more closely with several Russian demands.
The proposal includes separate US-Ukraine bilateral agreements covering security guarantees, reconstruction, and economic cooperation, which Zelensky said were evolving “on a daily basis.”
“We will discuss these documents, security guarantees,” Zelensky said ahead of Sunday’s meeting.
“As for sensitive issues, we will discuss Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and we will certainly discuss other issues,” he added.
Russia signalled strong opposition to the plan ahead of the Florida talks.
The Kremlin said on Friday that foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov had spoken by phone with US officials, while Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov sharply criticised Zelensky’s position.
Russia Accuses EU
“Our ability to make the final push and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party,” Ryabkov said on Russian television.
“Especially in a context where Kyiv and its sponsors — notably within the European Union, who are not in favour of an agreement — have stepped up efforts to torpedo it.”
Ryabkov said the proposal drawn up with Zelensky’s input “differs radically” from points initially discussed by US and Russian officials earlier this month.
“Without an adequate resolution of the problems at the origin of this crisis, it will be quite simply impossible to reach a definitive accord,” he added.
He said any deal must “remain within the limits” set by Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their August meeting in Alaska, warning that otherwise “no accord can be reached.”
Zelensky acknowledged this week that disagreements remain between Kyiv and Washington over two key issues: territorial concessions and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Washington has pressed Ukraine to withdraw from the roughly 20 percent of the eastern Donetsk region it still controls — Russia’s principal territorial demand. It has also proposed joint US-Ukrainian-Russian control of Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which Russia seized early in the invasion.
Zelensky has said any further territorial concessions would require approval by the Ukrainian people through a referendum, and he opposes Russian involvement at the nuclear plant.
Ukraine appears to have secured some concessions in the latest plan, including the removal of a requirement to formally renounce its bid to join NATO and earlier provisions recognising Russian sovereignty over territory seized since 2014.
Moscow, however, has shown little sign of abandoning its hardline stance, insisting Ukraine fully withdraw from Donbas, end efforts to join NATO, and accept restrictions on foreign peacekeeping forces — demands Kyiv says amount to capitulation.
Zelensky said Ukrainian negotiators were not in direct contact with Moscow, with the United States acting as intermediary.
“I think we will know their official response in the coming days,” he said, expressing scepticism over Russia’s intentions.
“Russia is always looking for reasons not to agree,” Zelensky added.