What Putin calls the "root causes" of the conflict have not changed during the war.
Ukraine has managed to bypass some of the controversial points in the U.S. peace plan during negotiations, but there are still five key contentious issues on which Ukraine and Russia cannot reach an agreement. As The Wall Street Journal writes, these are issues of territories, NATO membership, troop numbers, the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and the Russian language.
1. Territories
Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the territories of the Donetsk region. Kyiv claims it has neither the moral nor legal right to give up these lands, but the U.S. is pressuring Ukraine to meet Russia's demands in an effort to end the war quickly.
Moscow's focus on the sensitive issue of territory is aimed at "defeating the opponent," while not disclosing positions on other specific issues, said former U.S. National Security Council member Eric Chiaramella.
Moreover, if Zelensky agrees to concessions that contradict the Ukrainian constitution, he may face consequences ranging from accusations of treason to social unrest, believes Ukrainian political scientist Oleksiy Haran.
"If someone signs this or makes any humiliating concessions, it will provoke protests in Ukraine. It will destabilize Ukraine. It will lead to clashes in Ukraine. Putin will take advantage of this," he said.
2. NATO
What Putin calls the "root causes" of the conflict have not changed during the war, namely, Ukraine's western orientation and NATO expansion.
Although Kyiv has acknowledged that the U.S. does not consider Ukraine's accession to the military alliance, Zelensky rejected demands for the country to abandon its mandatory aspiration to join the security bloc.
To amend the constitution on this and other issues, the Ukrainian parliament needs a two-thirds majority.
3. Troop Numbers
The initial U.S. proposal also included limiting the number of Ukrainian armed forces to 600,000. This figure was changed to 800,000 to reflect the current size of the Ukrainian army.
Valeriy Chaly, who previously served as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., stated that the issue of how many troops Kyiv should have concerns not so much military specifics as limitations on Ukraine's decision-making.
"We need to understand... how to resist attempts to limit our sovereignty. We will determine for ourselves how many troops we need and what model we use," he said.
4. Culture
Another contentious issue in the discussions is Russia's desire to restore Russian-language media and education in Ukraine after the war.
Kyiv has imposed restrictions on Russian media, which it claims is an attempt to curb disinformation from outlets that have repeatedly questioned Ukraine's sovereignty and promoted violence against Ukrainians since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
"First of all, they want to take everything they can from Ukraine. Secondly, they want to destabilize the country. Thirdly, they want to restore tools of Russian influence. Fourthly, this is simply Russian propaganda," Haran said, calling Russian state media one of the main tools of influence.
5. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The question of who controls the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is another obstacle in the negotiations. Kyiv considers the U.S. proposal to divide control over the largest nuclear facility in Europe unjust. Zelensky stated that the plan glosses over details of the demilitarization of the plant, financing its repairs, ensuring water and electricity supply, and creating livable conditions for workers on the territory after the occupation by Russia.
Peace Agreement with the Russian Federation
Earlier, the head of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada, Davyd Arakhamia, stated that a potential agreement on a ceasefire with Russia would be either bad, or very bad, or it would not happen at all.
Politico also reported that any peace deal with Russia that would involve territorial concessions from Ukraine would pose an almost insurmountable political and public challenge for President Volodymyr Zelensky. The publication reminded that many Ukrainians are not ready to accept the surrender of land to Russia for the sake of peace.
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