The Donald mediates between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky for a deal that could start the end of the war in Ukraine. Occupied territories, security guarantees and the Zaporizhzhia power plant remain the main questions of the negotiation.
After more than three years of conflict and various attempts at diplomatic resolutions, perhaps it is the right time. Donald Trump continues to mediate between Vladimir Putin And Volodymyr Zelenskytrying to unlock an agreement that could bring the war between Russia and Ukraine towards a conclusion. The US president himself declared that the agreement «is close. If things go well, it could be there in a few weeks.” However, some questions remain to be resolved and they are not insignificant. The 20-point plan «90% ready», presented by Zelensky during the summit a Mar-a-LagoTrump’s estate in Florida, Sunday, December 28, 2025, faces three major obstacles: the knot Donbasssafety guarantees and management of the nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia.
The knots to untie
The positions of Kremlin are clear: complete control of Donbass and withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from those territories in Ukrainian hands. A few days before the meeting, Putin he warned that “if the Kiev authorities do not want to resolve the issue peacefully, Russia will carry out the special military operation by force.” Conditions that clash with rejection by Zelensky in recognizing Russian sovereignty in the eastern Ukrainian region, proposing instead a demilitarized and economically free zone under international supervision.
The second controversy concerns safety guarantees. Washington offers protection for 15 years which can be extended, while Zelensky asks to “consider the possibility of 30, 40 or 50 years”. Also on the table is the Italian proposal which provides for the extension of Article 5 of the BORN to Ukraine: any aggression would be considered a collective attack, triggering the obligation of mutual assistance. A mechanism that does not imply formal membership of the Atlantic Alliance, but would guarantee equivalent protections, to which Zelensky wants to add entry intoEuropean Union and Western funding to maintain an 800,000-strong Ukrainian army. Putininstead, demands commitments of Ukrainian neutrality: no nuclear arsenal and no NATO.
Zaporizhzhia and the European role
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest in Europe under Russian control, is strategic for Ukraine’s energy supply in the post-war reconstruction phase. Trump had hypothesized shared management between the United States, Russia and Ukraine, but Zelensky he prefers an exclusive partnership between Washington and Kiev, leaving the Americans free to make separate agreements with Moscow on the sharing of profits. On the other hand, Putin claims military progress and speaks of favorable conditions not only to complete control of Donbass, but also to “continue the advance to liberate Zaporizhzhia”.
Unexpectedly, The Donald publicly recognized the value of the European contribution in developing safeguards for Kiev. In addition to the Article 5 mechanism, the deployment of a European interposition force proposed by France and the United Kingdom is under discussion. Trump in fact, he categorically excluded the sending of American soldiers, transferring the responsibility of presence in the field to the Europeans, despite the constant opposition of Putin to this option.
Prospects and fragility of the agreement
A summit meeting in Washington is scheduled for January Trump, Zelensky and the European representatives. In the meantime, the official response from the Kremlin is awaited: the US president specified that “there are no deadlines”, confirming a “good and very productive phone call” with Putin shortly before the meeting with Zelenskywhich lasted two and a half hours. The compromise hypothesis that emerged from the talks provides for Donbass to Russia in exchange for Western protection for Ukraine.
Despite the progress, the negotiation remains fragile and the tension continues to rise. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrovdenounced an attack following the Mar-a-Lago summit, with 91 long-range drones against Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region. Lavrov defined the operation as a «terrorist act of the Kiev regime» and announced that «Russia’s negotiating position will be magazine», threatening reprisals. Zelensky he rejected the accusations as lies and a pretext to escalate the conflict. Despite that, Trump confirmed that he had a positive telephone conversation with Putin, signaling that diplomatic channels remain open.
However, Moscow does not intend to give up complete control without anything in return, while Kiev rejects any cession of territory. And the guarantees given by Article 5 of NATO required by Zelensky they constitute exactly that border that Moscow has always considered insurmountable.
