Axios: Zelensky ready to put US peace plan to referendum if Russia agrees to ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to put the issue of the peace plan proposed by the United States to a nationwide referendum if Russia agrees to a ceasefire for at least 60 days.

He said this in an interview with Axios.

The media notes that although Zelensky spoke of progress made in the negotiations, the peace plan proposed by the US President Donald Trump still requires painful territorial concessions from Ukraine in the east.

Zelensky said that before making a final deal, he would need to secure the approval of the Ukrainian people if he could not take a “strong” position on the territories.

According to the Ukrainian president, holding a referendum would pose significant political, logistical, and security challenges. Therefore, a 60-day ceasefire by the Russian Federation is the minimum period.

A US official told Axios that the Russians understand that a ceasefire would be necessary if a referendum were held, but are demanding a shorter deadline.

Zelensky also said that it is still unclear to him whether Russia is ready to agree to the American peace plan at all.

"I have some intelligence. But Iʼm at a point now where I only want to believe the words of the leaders," he said.

The Ukrainian president generally considers the agreements on security guarantees for Ukraine to be agreed upon, but some “technical points” remain. One of them is the term of the agreement.

According to Zelensky, the US has offered a 15-year agreement with the possibility of extension. But Ukraine needs more.

The Ukrainian leader hopes to agree on framework conditions for ending the war at a planned meeting with Donald Trump on December 28.

• On December 24, Zelensky first reported a draft 20-point peace agreement between Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and Europe. It included security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, the operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by three countries (Ukraine, Russia, and the United States), and a free economic zone in the Donetsk region.
• On the same day, Bloomberg wrote that Russia would demand changes to the latest version of the peace plan agreed upon by Ukraine and the United States.

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