Trump and Zelenskyy set for crunch talks as Ukraine and US draft new 19-point plan to end war
The new plan came after tensions between Washington and Kyiv emerged with the US President saying that Ukraine had offered 'zero gratitude' for American assistance
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have drafted a new 19-point plan to end the Ukraine war as the battle-scarred nation's President welcomes "important steps".
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Mr Zelenskyy warned that the “main problem” remained Vladimir Putin’s demand for legal recognition of Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine.
Mr Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to hold discussions later this week to address the most contentious elements of the emerging plan.
Territorial issues remain the biggest sticking point, with Kyiv resisting Russia’s demand that it give up parts of the Donbas region not currently under Moscow’s control.
Russia rejected a 28-point European counter-proposal on Monday, saying it was “completely unconstructive and does not work for us”.
Read more: The Ukrainians risking their lives to protect lost and abandoned pets from Russia's invasion
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has said “something good just may be happening” in the peace talks.
Talks have accelerated over the last week, after the United States and Russia agreed on terms to a 28-point peace plan that would include Ukraine handing over large swathes of land to the Kremlin.
Ukraine, which was not involved in devising the proposal, initially signalled it would reject it, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggesting acceptance would cost the country its “dignity.”
However, over the weekend, Kyiv, alongside its European allies, sent a counterproposal to Washington.
Taking to Truth Social on Monday, Mr Trump said: "Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine???
"Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening."
It comes after the US President accused Mr Zelenskyy of having “ZERO GRATITUDE" for his efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Mr Trump’s original plan would see Ukraine hand over a number of concessions to the Russians, including control of the eastern Donbas region and a reduction in its armed forces.
It is said to have been negotiated by the US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev.
World leaders levelled criticism at the proposals laid out by the US which they call “a basis which will require additional work”.
Writing on Sunday, Mr Trump said: "Ukrainian 'leadership' has expressed zero gratitude for our efforts, and Europe continued to buy oil from Russia.
"The US continues to sell massive amounts of weapons to NATO for distribution to Ukraine (Crooked Joe gave everything free, free, free, including 'big' money)."
His comments drew parallels to the infamous meeting between the two leaders and US Vice President JD Vance earlier this year, where Mr Zelenskyy was berated for not being grateful enough for US support.
During the tense exchange, Mr Trump accused the Ukrainian president of "gambling with World War Three".
The heated Oval Office meeting also saw Mr Vance lash out at Mr Zelenskyy, branding him "disrespectful" for questioning Trump's allegiances.
After Mr Zelenskyy warned that the US would feel the impact of the war if it continues, Mr Trump interrupted saying: "Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem."
In previous comments on Truth Social, Mr Trump criticised his predecessor, Joe Biden, and claimed that Russia wouldn't have invaded its neighbour if he had been in power at the time.
Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and annexed it after the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted during the Revolution of Dignity.
Mr Trump wrote: "The War between Russia and Ukraine is a violent and terrible one that, with strong and proper U.S. and Ukrainian leadership, would have never happened.
"It began long before I took office for a Second Term, during the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration, and has only gotten worse.
"If the 2020 Presidential Election was not rigged & stolen, the only thing the Radical Left Democrats are good at doing, there would be no Ukraine/Russia War, as there wasn’t, not even a mention, during my first Term in Office.
"Putin would never have attacked! It was only when he saw Sleepy Joe in action that he said, 'Now is my chance!'
"The rest is history, and so it continues.
"I inherited a war that should have never happened, a war that is a loser for everyone, especially the millions of people that have so needlessly died."