Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for referendum on peace plan, demands 60-day ceasefire for talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (December 29) said that any agreement to end the ongoing war with Russia must be approved through a referendum by the Ukrainian people. Zelensky further emphasised that the proposed 20-point peace plan could only be put to a vote after a ceasefire of at least 60 days. He also pointed out that several crucial issues remain unresolved in the peace talks, including the fate of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. These topics were discussed during his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump.

In his remarks, Zelensky criticised Russia, saying that its actions in Ukraine do not align with President Putin's "peaceful rhetoric" expressed during talks with Trump. Meanwhile, the Kremlin insisted that Ukraine must pull its forces out of the parts of Donbas still under its control if peace is to be achieved. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that if an agreement cannot be reached, Ukraine could face further territorial losses.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Sunday (December 28), ahead of Trump's meeting with Zelensky in Miami. Peskov mentioned that another conversation between Putin and Trump is expected soon, but ruled out any talks between Putin and Zelensky. Peskov did not comment on proposals for creating a free economic zone in Donbas or the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, saying that these matters were premature for discussion.

In response to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov’s comments, Peskov reiterated the demand for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from Donbas. When asked whether this applied to the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Peskov refused to give further details. Russia currently occupies about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

According to Russian estimates, Moscow controls approximately 90% of Donbas, 75% of Zaporizhzhia, and parts of Kherson, with smaller territories in other regions, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. While Russia claims Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as part of its territory, these areas are internationally recognised as Ukrainian. Peskov echoed President Trump’s warning that Ukraine could lose even more territory in the coming months unless a peace agreement is reached.