U.S., Ukraine reach consensus on key issues to end war, but territorial disputes remain

World ·New Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy waits to welcome the president of Cyprus in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 4. Zelenskyy spoke to journalists Tuesday as the U.S. showed a 20-point plan to Russian negotiators.(Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters) U.S., Ukraine reach consensus on key issues to end war, but territorial disputes remain Response expected from Moscow on Wednesday, Zelenskyy says The United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, remain unresolved, Ukraine's president said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke as the U.S. showed the 20-point plan, hammered out after marathon talks in Florida in recent days, to Russian negotiators. A response is expected from Moscow on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian president briefed journalists on each point of the plan on Tuesday. The draft proposal, which reflects Ukraine's wishes, intertwines political and commercial interests to safeguard security while boosting economic potential. At the heart of the negotiations lies the contentious territorial dispute concerning the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as the Donbas. This is "the most difficult point," Zelenskyy said. He said these matters will be discussed at the leaders level. Russia continues to assert maximalist demands, insisting that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory in Donbas that it has not captured - an ultimatum Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70 per cent of Donetsk. WATCH | Russia launches large-scale attack on Ukraine days after latest round of peace talks: In a bid to facilitate compromise, the U.S. has proposed transforming these areas into free economic zones. Ukraine insists that any arrangement must be contingent upon a referendum, allowing the Ukrainian people to determine their own fate. Ukraine is demanding the demilitarization of the area and the presence of an international force to ensure stability. "We did not reach a consensus with the American side on the territory of the Donetsk region and on the ZNPP," Zelenskyy said, referring to the power plant in Zaporizhzhia. "But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been found between us and them." A free economic zone compromise Point 14, which covers territories that cut across the eastern front line, and Point 12, which discusses management of the Zaporizhzhia plant, will likely be major sticking points in the talks. Zelenskyy said: "We are in a situation where the Russians want us to leave the Donetsk region, and the Americans are trying to find a way so that it is 'not a way out' - because we are against leaving - they want to find a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone in this, that is, a format that can provide for the views of both sides." The draft states that the contact line, which cuts across five Ukrainian regions, be frozen once...

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