On Christmas Eve, Volodymyr Zelensky communicates crucial information to his population. In remarks broadcast this Wednesday, December 24, the Ukrainian president unveiled the latest version of the American peace plan intended to end the war that has pitted his country against Russia since February 2022. Negotiated separately by Washington with kyiv and Moscow, this text has been the subject of fierce discussions for several months, with Donald Trump showing himself increasingly eager to see this process succeed. At the end of November, a first version in 28 points was revealed and widely criticized, because it took up many of the Kremlin’s demands to interrupt its offensive in eastern Ukraine.
The territorial question not resolved… but a freezing of the front
The latest update of this 20-point peace plan does not resolve several sticking points in the current talks. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, negotiations between Ukraine and the United States have not resulted in a “consensus” on the question of territorial control, while Moscow is demanding in particular that kyiv cede part of the eastern region of Donetsk to it. The Ukrainian president said he was “ready to meet with the United States at the leadership level to address sensitive issues”, after having already called in the past for a tripartite meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the other hand, the project provides for a freezing of the current front line. If this document is signed by the different parties, “the line of deployment of troops on the date of this agreement [sera] the de facto recognized line of contact”, specifies Volodymyr Zelensky. This situation would open the way to discussions on the creation of possible demilitarized zones. The Ukrainian head of state adds that a “working group will meet to determine the redeployment of forces necessary to end the conflict, as well as to define the parameters of possible future special economic zones”.
No formal ban on joining NATO
Another sensitive question: the possibility, or not, for Ukraine to join NATO. Moscow has made this hypothesis an absolute red line before the signing of any agreement. A Russian demand on which Donald Trump has already suggested that he is ready to give in. “There is no question of Ukraine entering NATO,” the Republican billionaire wrote in capital letters in August on his Truth Social network. However, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, the scenario of Ukrainian membership in the Atlantic Alliance is not formally prohibited by the agreement.
“It is up to NATO to decide whether or not it wishes to welcome Ukraine among its members. And our choice is made. We have given up on modifying the Ukrainian Constitution to state that the country will not join NATO,” explained the Ukrainian president. A previous version of the plan drawn up by the United States required kyiv to make a legal commitment not to join the organization.
Uncertainty over control of the Zaporizhia power plant
Still among the vague areas arising from this hypothetical agreement, the issue of control of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is not resolved. Occupied by Russia since 2022 and located in southern Ukraine, this site is the subject of security concerns from the international community. The plan proposes that it be operated jointly by Moscow, kyiv and Washington, a possibility rejected by Volodymyr Zelensky. “For Ukraine, this seems very inappropriate and not entirely realistic,” he told journalists, including those from AFP, on Tuesday.
Finally, the Ukrainian president also assured that the document provides for him to organize a presidential election after the signing of an agreement putting an end to hostilities. On the other hand, he indicated that any text providing for a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops must be approved by referendum by the Ukrainians, which would require a 60-day ceasefire.
kyiv is now awaiting a response from Moscow this Wednesday, “after the Americans have spoken to them”. Earlier in the week, a Russian official described progress in the negotiations as “slow” and accused the Europeans of seeking to “derail the diplomatic process” by pushing for changes to the text unacceptable to the Kremlin. On the ground, Vladimir Putin’s regime is not releasing the pressure: this Tuesday, new Russian strikes targeted the Ukrainian electricity network, causing power cuts, and the port region of Odessa, targeted multiple times in recent weeks.
The 20-point plan (translated from Ukrainian)
1. Ukraine’s sovereignty will be reaffirmed. We declare that Ukraine is a sovereign state, and all signatories to the agreement confirm this with their signatures.
2. This document is a complete and unconditional non-aggression agreement between Russia and Ukraine. To maintain lasting peace, a monitoring mechanism will be established to monitor the line of contact through unmanned aerial monitoring, to ensure prompt reporting of violations and resolution of disputes. Technical teams will finalize all the details.
3. Ukraine will receive strong security guarantees.
4. The Ukrainian army will maintain a strength of 800,000 in peacetime.
5. The United States, NATO and European signatory states will provide security guarantees to Ukraine modeled on Article 5:
a) If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a coordinated military response, all global sanctions against Russia will be reinstated.
b) If Ukraine invades Russia or opens fire on Russian territory without provocation, security guarantees will be deemed null and void. If Russia opens fire on Ukraine, security guarantees will come into force.
(c) Bilateral security guarantees are not excluded under this Agreement.
6. Russia will formalize a policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine in all laws and documents required for ratification.
7. Ukraine will become a member of the European Union within a precisely defined period, and Ukraine will benefit in the short term from privileged access to the European market.
8. A strong global development agenda for Ukraine, to be defined in a separate agreement on investment and future prosperity. It will cover a wide range of economic areas, including but not limited to:
a) The creation of a Ukraine Development Fund to invest in high-growth sectors, including technology, data centers and artificial intelligence.
(b) The United States and American companies will cooperate with Ukraine and co-invest in the reconstruction, development, modernization and operation of Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, including its gas pipelines and storage facilities.
(c) Joint efforts will be made to rebuild war-affected areas, to restore, rebuild and modernize towns and residential areas.
d) Infrastructure development.
e) Extraction of minerals and natural resources.
f) The World Bank will provide a special financing facility to secure funds to accelerate these efforts.
g) A high-level working group will be established, providing for the appointment of a global financial leader as administrator, responsible for organizing the implementation of the strategic reconstruction plan and maximizing prospects for future development.
9. Several funds will be created dedicated to the recovery of the Ukrainian economy, the reconstruction of damaged areas and regions, as well as humanitarian issues.
a) The United States and European countries will create a capital investment and grant fund with a target amount of $200 billion for transparent and effective financing in Ukraine.
(b) A wide range of capital investments and other financial instruments will be mobilized for Ukraine’s post-conflict reconstruction. Global reconstruction institutions will use mechanisms to strengthen and facilitate these efforts.
c) Ukraine will apply the most demanding standards globally in order to attract foreign direct investment.
d) Ukraine reserves the right to compensation for damage inflicted.
10. After the conclusion of this Agreement, Ukraine will accelerate the process of concluding a free trade agreement with the United States.
11. Ukraine confirms that it will remain a non-nuclear state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
12. The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant will be jointly managed by three countries: Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
13. Both countries commit to implementing educational programs in schools and society that promote understanding and tolerance of different cultures and combat racism and prejudice. Ukraine will apply European Union rules on religious tolerance and the protection of minority languages.
14. In the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, the line of deployment of troops on the date of this agreement is de facto recognized as the line of contact.
a) We de facto confirm as parties that this is the line of contact — where we currently find ourselves.
b) A working group will meet to determine the redeployment of forces necessary to end the conflict, as well as to define the parameters of potential future special economic zones.
c) After an equivalent basis for military movements, international forces will be deployed along the line of contact to monitor compliance with this Agreement. If the decision is made to establish such a zone, it will have to receive special approval from the Ukrainian Parliament or be subject to a referendum.
(d) The Russian Federation must withdraw its troops from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions for this Agreement to enter into force.
e) The Parties agree to respect the rules, guarantees and obligations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, which fully apply in the territory, including universally recognized human rights.
15. Having agreed on future territorial arrangements, the Russian Federation and Ukraine both undertake not to change these arrangements by force.
16. Russia will not hinder Ukraine’s use of the Dnieper and the Black Sea for commercial purposes.
17. A humanitarian committee will be established to resolve outstanding issues.
a) All remaining prisoners of war, including those convicted in Russia from 2014 to date, will be exchanged according to the principle of “all for all” (all prisoners held, regardless of their respective number on each side, editor’s note).
b) All detained civilians and hostages, including children and political prisoners, will be released.
c) Measures will be taken to remedy the problems and suffering of victims of the conflict.
18. Ukraine must hold elections as soon as possible after signing the agreement.
19. This Agreement is legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by a Peace Council chaired by President Trump. Ukraine, Europe, NATO, Russia and the United States will be part of this mechanism. Sanctions will apply in the event of violations.
20. Once all parties have accepted this Agreement, a complete ceasefire will come into effect immediately.
