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, "one or two very thorny, very tough issues" are still outstanding.

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 discuss the situation. However, any of the remaining disagreements could potentially derail the entire peace process.

One of the primary sticking points is Russia's demand for control over the entirety of Ukraine's Donbas region, its industrial heartland. While Russian forces currently occupy most of the Luhansk region, their control extends to only about 75% of the Donetsk region. President Vladimir Putin is insisting on acquiring the remaining portion, including the strategically important cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Zelensky has offered a compromise, but the specific details of this offer have not been publicly disclosed.

The fate of 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 security. The 20-point plan being discussed in Washington addresses both the territorial dispute and the nuclear plant situation.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant human and economic costs for both Russia and Ukraine. International efforts to mediate a resolution have been underway for months, but progress has been slow and uneven. The upcoming meeting between Zelensky and European leaders will be a crucial opportunity to address the remaining obstacles and potentially pave the way for a lasting peace agreement. However, as Zelensky stated, unlike Trump, he does not trust Russia's Putin on peace talks.