Political analyst Yehor Aytorovych on the "Klochok" channel discusses the upcoming meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Trump told The New York Post he is optimistic about a potential peace deal during Zelensky's visit, stating that all parties want peace but providing no concrete details, using typical diplomatic language.
Zelensky is preparing a counterproposal to create a demilitarized free economic zone in Donbas; Russia has not officially commented on this idea but claims to have reached previous agreements with the United States — although details are unknown. In a further interview to Politico, Trump affirmed he had not yet approved any Ukrainian initiative and would decide after reviewing it.
The meeting is expected to be public at Trump's Palm Beach estate. Trump is known for leveraging the informal atmosphere of his residences to influence diplomatic dialogues with world leaders, as seen during the Chinese president's 2017 visit.
Aytorovych analyzes the debate in Ukraine about holding a referendum to legitimize peace agreements. He criticizes the idea, citing legal complications under martial law and the risks to both domestic and international legitimacy. He also warns that Russia could use the referendum format to destabilize future peace processes.
Concluding, Aytorovych stresses Zelensky's legitimacy to make decisions independently and submit initiatives to parliament for ratification. Expectations for the meeting are cautious: Ukraine's delegation aims to strengthen its negotiating position and move closer to ending the war.
