Media report that Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, recently informed his American colleagues during negotiations about significant support for Kyiv’s peace initiative, which the United States presented in Paris the day before
According to sources within high-level government circles, the Ukrainian side allegedly supports this proposal by more than 90%, reflecting a desire to achieve long-awaited peace and end hostilities. The information was published by the New York Post, which cites a source — a senior government official who wished to remain anonymous in his comment. He stated that a final decision on the possibility of implementing a fully comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire agreement across the conflict territory is planned to be made next week in London. This step would be one of the key moves in diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the fighting. In his remarks, the official pointed out that one of Ukraine’s main concerns relates to the status of occupied territories — land issues are the most painful in this situation. He added that Kyiv is willing to negotiate compromises that would help find a balance between “de jure” and “de facto” control. “De facto” means recognizing the reality of actual occupation by Russian forces and control over the territories, without formally recording their transfer or surrender. In contrast, “de jure” establishes the legal status of the occupied lands, acknowledging that their full return is unlikely in the near term, and Russia could legally solidify its positions. Regarding further diplomatic steps, NY Post reports that agreement on the negotiation process is being achieved through proposals from the United States, particularly scenarios for easing sanctions. The senior official noted that the U.S. Special Representative, Steve Vitoff, might suggest to Moscow certain "carrots," such as relaxing existing restrictions and possibly unfreezing assets that were previously seized under sanctions against Russia. Currently, diplomatic efforts and ongoing negotiations are paving the way toward a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but no definitive agreement has yet been reached. It is expected that decisions about sanctions isolation or partial lifting, as well as possible concessions to Russia, will be made during the upcoming summit in London. This would be an important step toward ending the war and establishing a sustainable peace in the region, although some analysts emphasize that such concessions could provoke intense political debate within Ukraine and beyond.