Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalled fresh optimism on Monday, suggesting that the long-disputed US-drafted peace plan may finally be shifting in Kyiv’s favour. Speaking after talks in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelenskyy said the revised proposal “looks better,” emphasising that negotiations remain focused on resolving the most sensitive issue — territorial concessions.
The Paris meeting continued a rapid diplomatic push involving Kyiv, Washington and European partners to amend the peace framework originally negotiated between the US and Russia. The earlier version drew sharp criticism in Ukraine for appearing to accommodate several Russian demands, including limitations on Ukraine’s military development and barriers to NATO membership. Zelenskyy told reporters that while territorial matters remain the most complex, “the work will continue.”
The diplomatic momentum coincides with an upcoming high-stakes meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff, scheduled for Tuesday in Moscow. Witkoff’s role has drawn increased attention since reports emerged that he had privately coached a senior Kremlin adviser on how best to pitch the peace plan to President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy’s upbeat tone follows Sunday’s four-hour session in Florida between Ukrainian and American officials, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “productive.” Washington continues to push revisions that would ensure Kyiv’s long-term sovereignty, defence capacity and economic reconstruction — elements the Trump administration sees as essential to preventing another Russian invasion.
Even as diplomacy gains traction, Russia has attempted to assert battlefield leverage. The Kremlin claimed on Monday that its forces captured the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a strategic hub in Donetsk, though Zelenskyy dismissed the announcement as propaganda, similar to Russia’s earlier unverified claim of seizing Kupiansk. Macron described the current stage of peace negotiations as preliminary but suggested that talks had reached a moment that could prove pivotal for both Ukraine and Europe’s security architecture. He reiterated France’s insistence that any eventual deal must involve Europe and provide “rock-solid” security guarantees for Kyiv.
Hostilities continued during the diplomatic push. Missile strikes on Dnipro killed four people and wounded dozens, and Ukraine’s Air Force reported intercepting the majority of 89 drones launched by Russia overnight. Moscow, meanwhile, accused Ukraine of striking key oil infrastructure, including a terminal near Novorossiysk.
Despite the ongoing fighting, Zelenskyy’s comments reflected the clearest public indication in months that Kyiv sees real progress in negotiations shaping the eventual endgame of the war.
