US President Donald Trump on December 18 called on Ukraine to act quickly to reach a peace agreement with Russia, saying the delay could change Moscow's stance.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr. Trump said the parties were getting closer to an agreement and expressed hope that Ukraine would act soon.
According to Mr. Trump, when Ukraine takes too much time to consider, Russia is likely to change its mind. He also said that the negotiations were more difficult than expected, but there was still an opportunity to complete this process in the near future.
US media reported that Mr. Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump's special envoy, is expected to meet Russian officials in Miami. Russia and Ukraine have not commented on the US President's statement regarding the prospects of the negotiations.
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country's delegation would discuss with the US side for two consecutive days. Mr Zelensky suggested that Washington provide clearer information about security guarantees to protect Ukraine from the risk of Russia reattacking after reaching a peace agreement.
The Ukrainian president questioned the role and effectiveness of security guarantees, as well as the US's response to Russia's continued military action. He also stressed the need to make a financial decision before the end of the year, considering it a factor that helps Ukraine increase leverage in negotiations to end the conflict.
Mr Zelensky affirmed that frozen Russian assets need to be used to prevent the risk of attacks and serve the reconstruction of devastated areas. According to him, the lack of financial support could make it impossible for Ukraine to maintain its capacity to produce drones.
The European Union estimates Ukraine needs an additional 159 billion USD to maintain operations in the next 2 years. EU leaders are discussing the possibility of using frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank, while Belgium has expressed concern about legal and financial risks if Russia retaliates.
