Following the conclusion of the London summit on December 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fielded questions from the press, offering insights into the ongoing peace negotiations.
According to Zelensky, the American peace plan has been scaled back from 28 to 20 points, with provisions deemed contentious for Ukraine removed. "Quite frankly, the anti-Ukrainian points are gone. The American mood is geared toward finding compromises," the president noted. However, he emphasized that no compromise has yet been found regarding territorial integrity.
"We have no right—under Ukrainian law, our Constitution, international law, and frankly, no moral right—to do so. Russia is undoubtedly insisting that we cede territory. We, undoubtedly, do not want to give anything up; that is what we are fighting for," Zelensky stressed.
The president observed that there has been "slight progress toward a potential end to the war" compared to the initial draft, though Donald Trump has "his own vision" for ending the conflict, which differs from Ukraine's.
Addressing security guarantees, Zelensky stated that the strongest assurances could come from the United States, provided they are ratified by Congress. "If it's not another Budapest Memorandum, not empty promises, but something voted on in the U.S. Congress—so far, their attitude toward this is positive," he said. European security guarantees are "practically ready," according to Zelensky, though Kyiv is still awaiting a response on exactly what partners are prepared to do in the event of renewed Russian aggression.
The president also announced he is heading to Brussels for meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Ukraine is banking on a reparation loan funded by frozen Russian assets. "Everyone understands and shares our view that a final decision must be made so that the frozen funds of Russia, which destroyed Ukraine, work for Ukraine," Zelensky remarked.
Separately, the president discussed candidates for the new Head of the Presidential Office. The shortlist includes Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov, First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palysa. "There is a challenge here because the Rada [Parliament] must dismiss them before making new appointments. We don't want a situation like the game 'Jenga'—where you pull out one piece and everything collapses," Zelensky explained.
Regarding the PURL program, the president reported an annual need of $15 billion. There was a shortfall of $1.5 billion for this year, but with the Netherlands allocating $700 million, the gap has narrowed to $800 million.
Zelensky's statements came amid a tense day of diplomacy on December 8. Earlier, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressed disappointment, claiming Zelensky had "not even read" the American peace proposals, while asserting that the plan "suits" Russia and that "Zelensky's people are thrilled." This rhetoric added pressure on the Ukrainian delegation ahead of the London summit.
In parallel, calls are growing louder in Europe for an independent peace initiative. European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius urged the EU to develop its own roadmap for ending the war in case negotiations led by the Trump administration fail to yield results. He warned that Europe risks being sidelined while key decisions are made without its full participation, arguing that the contours of any potential peace must be shaped in Brussels as well as Washington.
As for the 28-point U.S. plan itself, drafted by special envoy Steve Witkoff in consultation with the Russian side, it drew serious criticism in Europe from the start. As analyst Yuriy Romanenko notes, the document was created without prior coordination with Ukraine or European partners, and its most controversial clauses included caps on the size of the Ukrainian military and territorial concessions. Now, according to Zelensky, eight of these contentious points have been dropped, signaling some progress in the talks.
