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Zelenskyy: Any Territorial Deal Must Be Decided by Ukrainians Themselves
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine has a “different position” from Russia on the future of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, underscoring that questions of territory cannot be resolved without the consent of the Ukrainian people—even as broader peace talks move closer to completion.
Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy was asked directly about Donbas and said Ukraine must respect its own laws, its citizens, and “the territory which we control.” He emphasized that Kyiv’s stance differs fundamentally from Moscow’s.
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Ukraine’s position on Donbas, he said, is “very clear,” adding that the issue of territory must ultimately be decided by Ukrainians themselves.
“We can have [a] referendum on any kind of points of this plan. Of course, our society has to choose … because it’s their land … not of one person. It’s the land of our nation, for a lot of generations.”
Zelenskyy also acknowledged that Ukrainians living abroad would have the right to participate in such a referendum, though he noted that proper infrastructure would need to be created to make that possible.
Asked whether there had been progress on proposals such as a free trade zone in Donbas, US President Donald Trump said the issue remains unresolved—but is moving closer to a solution.
“That’s a very tough issue, but one I think we’ll get resolved,” Trump said.
Trump declined to assign a percentage to the progress made on territorial questions, noting that while talks are advancing, sensitive issues remain.
“There are one or two thorny issues, very tough issues, but I think we’re doing very well,” he said.
I thank @POTUS Donald Trump for a great meeting. We had a substantive discussion on all issues, and we much appreciate the progress achieved by American and Ukrainian teams in recent weeks. Special thanks to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for their engagement and full… pic.twitter.com/cDAC2LFl6K
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2025
European leaders also weighed in on the state of the negotiations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed what she described as “good progress” following a one-hour call with Trump, Zelenskyy, and other European leaders.
In a post on X, von der Leyen said Europe stands ready to continue working with Ukraine and the United States to consolidate that progress, stressing that security must remain the foundation of any agreement.
“Paramount to this effort is to have ironclad security guarantees from day one,” she said.
We had a good, one-hour-long call with @POTUS, President @ZelenskyyUa and several European leaders to discuss their meeting today on peace negotiations.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 28, 2025
There was good progress, which we welcomed.
Europe is ready to keep working with Ukraine and our US partners to consolidate…
Earlier, Zelenskyy said a proposed 20-point peace framework is “90% agreed” following high-level talks with US President Donald Trump, but stressed that Ukraine’s position on its territory is unequivocal—calling it “the land of our nation.”
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