Negotiations aimed at ending the nearly four-year full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine are approaching a critical juncture, but unresolved issues regarding territory and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain significant obstacles. According to President Donald Trump, these sticking points are "one or two very thorny, very tough issues."
The Kremlin concurred with Trump's assessment that negotiations are "at a final stage." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with European leaders in France on January 6 to further discuss the potential peace deal. However, any of the remaining disagreements could potentially derail the entire agreement.
One of the most contentious issues is the fate of Ukraine's Donbas region, its industrial heartland, which Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to control entirely. While Russian forces currently occupy most of the Luhansk region, their control extends to only about 75% of the Donetsk region. Putin's demand includes capturing the remaining cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which form a crucial defensive line for Ukraine. Zelensky has offered a compromise, but Putin has so far remained steadfast in his maximalist demands.
The situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, also presents a major challenge. The plant is currently under Russian occupation, raising concerns about its safety and operational integrity. The details of how the plant would be managed and secured under a peace agreement are yet to be resolved.
The current negotiations are based on a 20-point plan formulated in Washington. The US, Russia, and Ukraine have all acknowledged progress, but the final outcome hinges on resolving these key disagreements. The international community is closely watching these developments, as the resolution of the conflict has significant implications for regional and global stability.
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