Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he held discussions with a US delegation, including US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, focusing on Ukraine's reconstruction and updates to a 20-point plan to end the war. Zelenskyy described the talks as "productive" and mentioned that this could be considered the "first meeting of the group" tasked with working on a document concerning the reconstruction and economic recovery of Ukraine. He confirmed that future contacts between the teams have been agreed upon, with an emphasis on avoiding delays on the Ukrainian side.
According to Anadolu Agency, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to President Trump and his team for their work and support. The discussions also touched on the potential elections during the war, with Zelenskyy noting that if partners, particularly in Washington, speak concretely about holding elections under martial law, Ukraine must provide legal solutions to any questions or doubts. He expects Ukrainian lawmakers to propose their vision on this matter.
Zelenskyy also addressed intelligence reports on Russia's increasing economic reliance on Beijing, claiming that Russia has never surrendered sovereignty so strongly in favor of China in its history to maintain its war efforts. Additionally, Ukraine is preparing a new sanctions package targeting the "tanker fleet" that supports Russia's military operations, with plans to coordinate these efforts with European partners.
Prior to the meeting with US officials, Zelenskyy mentioned that Kyiv was finalizing the 20-point document, intending to present it to the US soon, following consultations with European partners. He highlighted ongoing diplomatic efforts that involve communicating with partners nearly around the clock to identify realistic steps to end the conflict, ensuring the outcome is reliable for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy emphasized the productive nature of talks between Kyiv, Washington, and European capitals on the reduced US-backed 20-point peace framework, which had been narrowed from earlier drafts. The Ukrainian leader underscored the importance of ensuring future security and preventing further attacks from Moscow through a coalition of supportive countries.