On December 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed the details of a peace plan coordinated with Europe and the United States. The plan consists of 20 key points designed to secure sustainable peace, provide security guarantees for Ukraine, and resolve major issues of the conflict.
The first points address the reaffirmation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and a binding non-aggression agreement with Russia. The US will monitor the front line using drones, with the potential for a peacekeeping mission. Legally binding security guarantees are expected from both Europe and the US, while the Ukrainian armed forces will maintain a peacetime size of 800,000, although funding remains uncertain.
Ukraine expects guarantees modeled after NATO Article 5 – if Russia invades, a military response and renewed sanctions could be triggered. Russia, in turn, must codify a non-aggression policy toward Europe and Ukraine. EU membership for Ukraine is planned within specified terms, and in the meantime, Ukraine will receive short-term preferential access to the European market and a separate investment agreement for reconstruction and infrastructure, with a dedicated fund of up to $800 billion.
The plan also includes accelerating a free trade agreement with the US, Ukraine’s non-nuclear status (as requested by Russia), and addresses complex issues such as joint management of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and demilitarization of certain facilities. There is a focus on educational programs, cultural tolerance, and protection of minority rights in both societies.
The territorial issue is the most complex: as of the agreement date, the de facto front line in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions will serve as the line of contact, while Russia must withdraw from Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions. The plan proposes a humanitarian committee to oversee post-war recovery, prisoner exchanges, and the return of civilian hostages and political prisoners.
Following the agreement, presidential elections are to be held in Ukraine, and the deal will become legally binding with international oversight. The final point envisions a full ceasefire immediately upon ratification by both sides. Issues of mobilization, martial law, and election specifics remain open, depending on how the agreement is implemented.
