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Ukraine has agreed to the framework of a proposed deal to end the war with Russia, a senior US official said on Tuesday, even as President Volodymyr Zelensky maintained that several issues remain unresolved, CNN reported.
The official, speaking as US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held talks with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi, said, "The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal. There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal." Furthermore, Ukraine's national security secretary, Rustem Umerov, wrote on X that both sides had "reached a common understanding on the core terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva." He added that Kyiv now expected support from European partners in the next steps and looked forward to arranging a visit by Zelensky to the United States to "complete final steps" and reach a deal with President Donald Trump. https://x.com/rustem_umerov/status/1993245043038024176 Earlier on Tuesday, Zelensky said there were "solid results" from the Geneva talks but noted that "much work still lies ahead," signalling that Ukraine is not yet ready to declare the negotiations final. The original US-drafted peace plan includes several ideas previously rejected in past rounds of negotiations. It urges Ukraine to accept limits on the size of its armed forces, abandon its bid to join NATO and cede some territory--all long-standing demands made by Russia as President Vladimir Putin seeks to secure maximum concessions. The proposal also calls on Kyiv to surrender key parts of the Donbas region that Russia claims to have annexed but does not fully control. The region includes a fortified belt of cities and towns central to Ukraine's defence strategy. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected Russia's demands that Ukraine give up the eastern Donbas in return for control over certain Russian-held areas in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine's borders "cannot be changed by force" and warned against any peace plan that would weaken Ukraine's armed forces. She said no agreement should impose limitations that leave Ukraine exposed to future attacks. Von der Leyen also stressed that the EU's role in securing peace must be "fully reflected", noting that Ukraine must retain the right to decide its own future. "They have chosen a European destiny," she said, adding that this path begins with reconstruction and deeper integration with Europe's single market and defence industrial base. (ANI)
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