Ukraine’s Future: Diplomacy, Elections, and Battlefield Developments
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni walk past an honor guard in Rome. Zelenskyy’s on a diplomatic tour of Europe. He’ll soon be sending a revised plan to end the Russia-Ukraine War to the White House. It’s a plan that is less favorable to Moscow. He wants European backing for Ukrainian positions, including no ceding of land to Russia.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine is talking to both Europe and the US, and putting together three documents: a 20-point peace plan, a guarantee for Ukraine’s future security and a plan to restore Ukraine’s economy.
And he’s looking to Ukraine’s future in another way, too. Ukrainian law doesn’t allow for wartime elections. But Zelenskyy’s term ended last year, and the US is pushing for a vote. He now says if the law is changed and Ukraine’s partners can ensure security, an election could happen within a few months.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (PRESIDENT):
I will say, frankly, that I am ready for elections. If there is a question that we are clinging to power, or I am personally, and that the war cannot end as a result, this is an absolutely meritless story.
The question now is how ready US President Donald Trump will be to listen to a Europe-backed proposal. In an interview with Politico Monday, he said most European countries are—quote—“decaying”, and that Ukraine’s EU partners have talked much but produced little. He also said Zelenskyy will have to get ready for some concessions, saying that—in his view—Russia as the larger country holds the upper hand.
Donald Trump (US PRESIDENT):
Well he's gonna have to get on the ball and start accepting things. You know, when you're losing, cause he's losing.
And in Russia, the focus is still on the war. In the Kremlin Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded military medals to soldiers and officers fighting in Ukraine—and to the families of those who died in the war.
Vladimir Putin (PRESIDENT):
Today, in this challenging time for our country, we are once again convinced of how strong the traditions of military glory remain, and how honorably they are carried forward by our contemporaries, including very young people, young men fighting on the frontlines.
On the front in eastern Ukraine, Russia says it continues to gain ground. Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, says Russia is advancing along the whole front, and has captured much of the Ukrainian town of Myrnohrad.
With friction between Europe and the US—and Russia not letting up—peace seems far off, even as the fourth anniversary of the war’s outbreak draws near.
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