Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the main problem in the US-brokered peace plan is Russia’s demand for land. He made it clear that “the territorial issue is the most difficult” part of the negotiations.

Russia continues to insist that Ukraine give up areas of the eastern Donbas region. At the same time, Ukraine remains firm. It refuses to accept any deal that places the region under Moscow’s control.

Zelenskyy shared these remarks before his scheduled meeting on Tuesday with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump.

European leaders back Ukraine

Zelenskyy spoke while meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday. During the meeting, several European countries showed their support for Ukraine. These included the UK, Germany, Poland and Italy.

Macron openly stated that only Ukraine has the right to make decisions about its own land in any peace agreement with Russia.

Later, Macron also spoke with Trump. The French government said the two leaders “discussed the conditions for a robust and lasting peace in Ukraine”. It added that Macron “emphasised the crucial importance of the security guarantees necessary for Ukraine”.

Zelenskyy calls for allied unity

Zelenskyy urged Western nations not to let Russia benefit from the war it started. He said he hoped to speak directly with Trump after Witkoff completed his talks in Russia this week.

He also admitted that Ukraine and the United States have not yet fully agreed on the revised US peace proposal. The first version had supported several key Russian demands, which raised concerns in Kyiv.

After the second round of talks with US officials, Zelenskyy said, “There were ‘some tough issues that still have to be worked through’.”

These discussions took place on Sunday at a luxury golf resort in Florida, owned by Witkoff, who is a real estate billionaire and a close associate of Trump.

White House remains hopeful

Despite the challenges, the White House expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached.“I think the administration feels very optimistic,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.

She added that Trump and his team “have been working so hard on this effort and they all really want to see this war come to an end.”

Leavitt also pointed out that US and Ukrainian officials had “very good talks with the Ukrainians in Florida” and confirmed that “Special Envoy Witkoff is on his way to Russia” to meet Vladimir Putin.