Ukraine and US Close to 20-Point Peace Deal as Putin Rejects Zelenskyy’s Christmas Ceasefire Offer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and the United States are nearing completion of a framework for security guarantees and economic arrangements linked to a proposed peace plan to end the ongoing conflict with Russia. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on December 22, Zelenskyy revealed that talks with U.S. officials have yielded a 20-point plan with accompanying documents outlining security guarantees involving Ukraine, the United States, and European partners.

“There are 20 points of the plan, probably not everything is perfect there, but this plan is there,” Zelenskyy said. “There are security guarantees between us, the Europeans and the United States of America, there is a framework document.”

According to the Ukrainian president, a separate bilateral document with Washington covering security guarantees is intended for review by the U.S. Congress. He noted that key annexes critical to Ukraine’s military needs were approximately 90% agreed upon, describing the draft as “quite decent.”

Zelenskyy also mentioned that a first version of an economic recovery agreement had been prepared, calling it a strategy that, together with the security documents, forms “the basic block of all documents” needed for a comprehensive peace plan.

Despite these diplomatic advances, Zelenskyy warned that the immediate military threat from Russia remains. He criticized Moscow for rejecting proposals for a Christmas ceasefire, interpreting it as a “bad signal” and suggesting that Russia might launch attacks during the holiday period.

“When Russia says there will be no Christmas ceasefire, I think that this is, in principle, always what they say, they emphasize intimidation,” Zelenskyy stated. He highlighted Ukraine’s ongoing air-defense shortfall and urged civilians to remain vigilant.

The Ukrainian president also confirmed that Russian forces had captured a border village in Ukraine’s Sumy region, taking dozens of civilians and 13 Ukrainian soldiers prisoner. According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian troops refrained from striking Russian forces because civilians were present.

On the Russian side, the Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the U.S. peace proposals. Russian officials are expected to formulate their formal position in the coming days, according to reports from Reuters and Anadolu Agency.

However, Bloomberg News reported that Russia views the 20-point plan agreed upon between Ukraine and the U.S. as merely a starting point for negotiations. According to a source close to the Kremlin, Moscow intends to seek significant changes to the proposal, including additional restrictions on Ukraine’s military. Russian officials reportedly believe the current draft lacks provisions important to Russia and leaves many critical questions unanswered.

These emerging positions highlight a growing gap between Kyiv’s optimistic portrayal of progress toward security guarantees and Moscow’s insistence on renegotiating core elements of the U.S.-backed plan.

The developments come at a critical juncture in the conflict, which has now stretched well into its third year with devastating consequences for Ukraine’s infrastructure, economy, and civilian population. International efforts to broker a lasting peace have intensified in recent months, with the United States playing a central role in facilitating discussions between the warring parties.

The proposed framework represents one of the most concrete diplomatic advances since the war began, though significant hurdles remain before any agreement can be finalized. European partners have also been closely involved in the negotiations, recognizing the broader security implications for the continent.

Military analysts note that Russia’s position of strength on the battlefield may influence its willingness to make concessions in peace talks. Recent territorial gains, including in the Sumy region, could embolden Moscow to press for more favorable terms in any final agreement.

As diplomatic channels remain open, the immediate reality on the ground continues to be defined by ongoing hostilities, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict as another winter sets in across Ukraine’s war-torn regions.