Ukraine, US near 20-point peace deal as Putin spurns Zelenskyy Christmas ceasefire offer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine and the United States are close to finalizing a framework of security guarantees and economic arrangements tied to a proposed peace plan, while Russia has signaled it will seek significant changes before any agreement to end the war. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Dec. 22, Zelenskyy said talks with U.S. officials had produced a 20-point plan and accompanying documents that include security guarantees involving Ukraine, the United States and European partners. He acknowledged the framework was not flawless but described it as a tangible step forward. "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." US OFFICIALS TOUT PROGRESS IN TALKS TO REACH 'LASTING AND DURABLE PEACE' BETWEEN UKRAINE, RUSSIA Zelenskyy said a separate bilateral document with Washington covering security guarantees is intended to be reviewed by the U.S. Congress , adding that key annexes critical to Ukraine’s military needs were largely agreed to. "I saw the first developments, there are almost 90%, to be honest, exactly those attachments that are important for us, what our army and Ukraine can count on," he said, describing the draft as "quite decent." He also said a first version of an agreement on Ukraine’s recovery had been prepared, calling it an economic strategy that, together with the security documents, forms "the basic block of all documents." Zelenskyy warned, however, that diplomacy has not reduced the immediate military threat from Russia. He criticized Moscow for rejecting proposals for a Christmas ceasefire , calling it a "bad signal," and warned of potential attacks during the holiday period. MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE "When Russia says there will be no Christmas ceasefire, I think that this is, in principle, always what they say, they emphasize intimidation," Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukraine faces an air-defense shortfall and urged civilians to remain vigilant. Reuters also reported that Zelenskyy confirmed Russian forces captured a border village in Ukraine’s Sumy region, taking dozens of civilians and 13 Ukrainian soldiers prisoner. He said Ukrainian troops refrained from striking Russian forces because civilians were present. Reuters noted it could not independently verify the account and that Russia had not commented. On the Russian side, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the U.S. peace proposals, with Moscow expected to formulate its position in the coming days, according to Reuters and Anadolu Agency. Bloomberg News reported that Russia views the 20-point plan agreed to between Ukraine and the U.S. as only a starting point . According to a person close to the Kremlin, Moscow intends to seek key changes, including additional restrictions on Ukraine’s military, arguing that the proposal lacks provisions important to Russia and leaves many questions unanswered. The emerging positions underline a widening gap between Kyiv’s portrayal of progress toward security guarantees and Moscow’s insistence on renegotiating core elements of the U.S.-backed plan as diplomacy continues . Reuters contributed to this report.