Ukraine Peace Deal 90% Complete – Zelenskyy Announces Progress
Zelenskyy Says Peace Deal with Russia 90% Complete, Warns Against Concessions
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated a potential peace agreement with Russia is largely finalized but cautioned against concessions that would reward Moscow, emphasizing the critical importance of security guarantees.
Published January 1, 2024
Zelenskyy’s christmas Eve Address
In a Christmas Eve address delivered on December 24, 2023, President Zelenskyy affirmed Ukraine’s desire to end the war, but insisted it would not accept peace ”at any price.” He stressed that any agreement must include robust security guarantees to prevent future Russian invasions.Deutsche Welle reported on Zelenskyy’s remarks.
“The peace agreement is 90% ready, 10% remains. And that is much more than just numbers,” Zelenskyy said in a video message posted to his Telegram account. “That is the 10% that will determine the destiny of peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe,” he added.
Sticking Points: Donbas and Security Guarantees
The United States has been attempting to mediate a peace deal, soliciting input from both Russia and Ukraine, but progress has been hampered by disagreements over territory. Specifically, the status of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region remains a major obstacle.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly seeking full control of the Donbas region as a condition of any agreement. However, Zelenskyy expressed skepticism that Russia’s ambitions would be limited to Donbas if Ukraine were to make territorial concessions. Putin recently reiterated his belief in Russia’s victory in the conflict.
Zelenskyy warned against accepting assurances of a limited Russian objective, stating, “‘Retreat from the Donbás and everything will be over.’ “This is what deception sounds like when translated from Russian to Ukrainian to English to German to French and, actually, to any language in the world,” he declared.
Background: The Conflict in Donbas
the Donbas region, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of eastern Ukraine, has been the site of conflict as 2014. Following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, Russia annexed Crimea and supported separatists in donbas, leading to an ongoing war. Russia formally recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s republic in February 2022,shortly before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The region holds significant symbolic and economic importance for both countries.