The President himself spoke of a draft framework document.Image: keystone
Dec 24, 2025, 10:34December 24, 2025, 12:19 p.m
For the first time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly laid out the 20 points for a peace plan initiated by the USA. According to the draft, security guarantees for Ukraine modeled on Article 5 of NATO – that is the assistance clause – and an army strength of 800,000 soldiers are envisaged, as Zelenskyj explained to journalists in Kiev, according to Ukrainian media.
The President himself spoke of a draft for a framework document and repeated his comments from the previous day that there was a need for further clarification and discussion. The question of the cession of territory demanded by Russia for a ceasefire, especially in the Donetsk region, which Ukraine still partially controls, remains unresolved. Control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently occupied by Russia, also still needs to be clarified, said Zelensky.
Accordingly, the paper contains not only Ukrainian but also Russian and US positions. Zelenskyj said there was a convergence of positions on many points and in some cases even consensus. Russians and Ukrainians spoke about the peace plan in separate talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend and described the meetings as constructive.
Zelenskyj listed these points in detail:
- Confirmation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
- Non-aggression agreement and monitoring mechanism between Russia and Ukraine.
- Reliable security guarantees for Ukraine.
- Ukraine is said to have a peacetime army of 800,000 soldiers.
- The USA, NATO and European states should give Ukraine security guarantees along the lines of Article 5 of the military alliance. In the event of a new Russian attack, all global sanctions against Moscow should come into force again. If Ukraine attacks Russia, all security guarantees should be lost. If Russia attacks Ukraine, security guarantees should apply.
- Legally binding commitment by Russia not to attack Ukraine and Europe. Moscow should secure this through laws and ratification by the State Duma.
- Ukraine’s accession to the EU and until then priority access to the European internal market.
- Agreement on an investment and development package for Ukraine, including cooperation with US companies on reconstruction, modernization of gas infrastructure and extraction of raw materials.
- Creation of economic recovery funds with the aim of attracting $800 billion (€678 billion) in investments.
- Ukraine is accelerating the process for a free trade agreement with the USA.
- Ukraine confirms its neutral status as a state without nuclear weapons.
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is to be used jointly. According to US ideas, Russia and Ukraine should use the nuclear power plant equally. Ukraine, on the other hand, wants a joint venture with the USA to operate the power plant – without Russian participation.
- Ukraine and Russia should launch educational programs in which mutual understanding and tolerance are topics. Ukraine should also commit to EU norms of religious tolerance and the protection of minority languages.
- Territorial division. Russia withdraws its troops from Dnepropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Option A envisages freezing the front line in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions; Variant B: a free trade zone in Donbass confirmed by referendum.
- After confirming the territorial agreement, Russia and Ukraine undertake not to make any violent changes.
- Russia undertakes not to prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper River and the Black Sea.
- Creation of a committee for humanitarian issues to take care of the exchange of all prisoners of war and the return of all imprisoned civilians, including children and political prisoners.
- Ukraine should hold elections as soon as possible after the agreement is signed, first for the presidency, then also for parliament and at the local level.
- The peace agreement is legally binding and is to be monitored by a peace council led by US President Donald Trump. The council will also include representatives from Ukraine, the EU, NATO, the USA and Russia.
- Once all sides agree, a full ceasefire will come into force
Zelensky also said that he expected a response from the Russian side on December 24th. “Then we will understand our next steps and the possible time frame for certain decisions,” he said.
Ukraine is ready for a new meeting with the USA at the highest level to clarify sensitive issues such as those regarding the territories. Zelensky had repeatedly categorically rejected the cessions of territory demanded by Russia. (sda/dpa)