Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday (December 1) that there are still some tricky issues to be resolved following the meeting between the US and Ukraine in Florida. He and other Ukrainian officials are currently touring Europe to seek support from allies. Meanwhile, a special envoy of US President Donald Trump has set off to Moscow to brief the Kremlin on the situation.
According to Reuters, intensive diplomatic actions were initiated on Monday crossing the Atlantic to end the deadliest war in Europe in decades. Previously, US and Ukrainian officials held talks at a golf resort owned by real estate magnate Steve Witkoff, who is a special envoy of Trump.
Zelensky received support from French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday and is expected to travel to Ireland on Tuesday. The Ukrainian Minister of Defense is set to attend a NATO meeting in Brussels. At the same time, Witkoff is heading to Moscow and will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
Ukraine and its European allies have been urging Washington to revise its proposed peace plan. The plan initially acknowledged Russia’s major demands: Ukraine to cede more territory, limit the size of its military forces, abandon NATO integration, and prohibit the deployment of Western troops.
Ukraine insists that these terms amount to surrender and would make it more vulnerable to Russia’s complete conquest in the future. Russia occupied Crimea in 2014 and launched the invasion in 2022.
“There are still some tricky issues to be resolved,” Zelensky posted on X platform, describing his intense schedule discussing the outcome of the Florida meeting in Europe. He stated, “It will be a very fulfilling day.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted a meeting at the Shell Bay Club near Miami on Sunday. He mentioned that Washington “remains sober about the difficulty of the matter (reaching an agreement), but given the progress we have made, we are optimistic.”
Rubio added, “There is still more work to be done. It’s delicate. There are many variables, and evidently there is another party involved… it must be part of the equation.”
These intensive negotiations come at a time when Ukraine is facing both internal and external challenges. Ukraine continues to suffer setbacks on the frontlines and is currently embroiled in its biggest corruption scandal since the war began.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff who previously led Ukraine’s peace negotiation team, resigned last Friday (November 28) after anti-corruption investigators searched his residence. Prior to this, two cabinet ministers were dismissed, and a former business partner became a suspect.
President Trump stated to reporters onboard Air Force One on Sunday that Ukraine has “some tricky minor issues” (referring to the corruption scandal). He reiterated his view that both Russia and Ukraine seek to end the war and expressed optimism about the chances of reaching an agreement.
So far, Russia has shown no signs of giving up its territorial claims, with Russian forces making slow progress along the 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) front line.
On Monday night, Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, resulting in at least four deaths and 22 injuries. Russia claimed to have occupied the settlement of Klynove in the Donetsk region on Monday. They also claimed they were about to take over the destroyed city of Pokrovsk, marking their biggest gain in the past two years.
As the war enters its fourth winter, Russia continues nightly remote strikes on Ukrainian cities, primarily targeting energy infrastructure, leading Ukrainians to face frequent cold and darkness.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been launching remote strikes targeting Russia’s oil exports. The Kremlin condemned Ukraine’s attacks on a Russian oil export terminal serving the pipeline to Kazakhstan and two oil tankers in the Black Sea on Monday.