Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during talks with Donald Trump’s representatives in Kyiv, the Ukrainian side received several new ideas brought by the U.S. delegation following its meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Zelensky made the remarks while answering journalists’ questions after three rounds of talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
According to the president, some of the proposals require further analysis, and Kyiv is therefore not yet ready to disclose their details publicly.
“There were several genuinely new ideas, and we discussed them. Give us some time to analyze everything thoroughly, understand what steps could be taken and whether they can bring us closer to peace,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine, the United States and European partners plan to hold further consultations in the coming weeks to examine the proposals in greater detail.
U.S. BROUGHT TO KYIV IDEAS DISCUSSED WITH PUTIN
Witkoff confirmed that the U.S. delegation brought a number of ideas to Kyiv that had previously been discussed in Moscow.
According to him, the U.S. goal is to find a diplomatic rather than a military solution to the war. To achieve this, Washington believes the sides need to seek a compromise.
Witkoff said some progress had been made in the negotiating process over the past 48 hours, although he acknowledged that the unresolved issues remain extremely difficult.
Neither the U.S. nor the Ukrainian side disclosed the specific details of the new proposals.
ZELENSKY: WITHOUT A STRONG POSITION, UKRAINE WILL FACE ULTIMATUMS
Zelensky linked Ukraine’s diplomatic leverage to the situation on the battlefield. According to him, Ukraine’s position has strengthened over the past 10–12 months, particularly in the east of the country.
“Without a strong position on the battlefield — a strong Ukrainian position — there will only be ultimatums,” the president said.
He described the issue of Donbas as much broader than a territorial dispute alone. In Zelensky’s view, it is effectively one of the central issues of the entire war and carries major geopolitical significance.
The president also suggested that Moscow could conduct another mobilization after elections in Russia, including to reinforce its forces on the eastern front.
UKRAINE PREPARING ITS OWN ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM
Zelensky identified Ukraine’s ability to counter ballistic missiles as one of the weaknesses of its air defense. At the same time, he said Ukraine is expected to have its own anti-ballistic missile system in the near future.
“Our Ukrainian anti-ballistic missile system will be available soon,” the president said, without disclosing its specifications or a timeline for deployment.
Zelensky also said the United States plans to increase production of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems next year. Germany is also expanding production, and Ukraine already has relevant agreements with Berlin, according to the president.
He stressed that Ukraine will need these capabilities even if the war ends, as they are expected to become part of the country’s long-term defense architecture.
67 UKRAINIAN COMPANIES WORKING ON DEFENSE AGAINST JET-POWERED DRONES
Zelensky also discussed the development of Ukrainian systems designed to counter jet-powered drones.
According to him, 67 Ukrainian companies are currently working on technologies to intercept such drones. Three to five of them have already demonstrated results that could potentially allow them to move toward mass production.
Zelensky said he remains cautious about these developments until Ukraine has the capability to deploy such systems on a large scale.
“PLAN A” IS DIPLOMACY
Zelensky described strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses as necessary, but essentially a fallback option.
“All of this is defense, and this is Plan B, although it is very relevant right now. Plan A is to accelerate diplomatic efforts as much as possible in order to reduce escalation,” the president said.
At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine would continue responding to Russian attacks until they stop.
Zelensky also pointed to the absence of major Russian attacks on Kyiv during the U.S. delegation’s visit, but stressed that Ukraine cannot permanently depend on the decision of a single person over whether or not attacks are carried out.
