Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and ongoing contact with other European countries. He emphasized that peace in Ukraine depends on unified pressure on Russia, according tohis Facebook post.

“Today I spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a very substantive discussion, and I expect that Italy will continue to stand with Ukraine on the path to peace. Giorgia and I managed to discuss many prospects and various options,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that he is also in constant contact with the UK, France, Germany, the European Commission, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and other partners.

“Thank you all for your support. Ukraine deserves a just peace, and whether there will be peace depends entirely on Russia, on our united pressure on Russia, and on the correct negotiating positions of the US, Europe, and all our other partners. Russia must be held accountable for its actions: for the daily attacks, for the constant terror against our people, and for this war as a whole,” the president said.

He also emphasized that internal affairs and Ukraine’s domestic transformation should not be forgotten, so that the country’s positions remain strong.

What preceded this

As previously reported, media outlets noted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to make an official visit to Italy next week, with a planned arrival in Rome on Tuesday, December 9.

The president had announced talks with European leaders focusing on security guarantees, defense, and the US peace plan. Zelenskyy is currently awaiting the return of the Ukrainian delegation from the US, as well as information on the agreements reached and what the Americans discussed with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow on December 2.

In November,the US presented a so-called peace plan for ending the war in Ukraine, which was unfavorable to Kyiv. The plan included provisions for Ukraine to give up long-range weapons, make territorial concessions to Moscow, and reduce its army’s size, among other points.

This version was unacceptable to Europe and Kyiv, prompting negotiations in Geneva with European and US delegations. Reports suggested that the plan was reduced from 28 to 19 points, apparently removing the issues of reducing Ukraine’s army and territorial concessions.

On November 30, the Ukrainian delegation traveled to Miami. President Zelenskyy commented that the negotiations with US representatives were constructive and that the work would continue.

Following that, on December 2, Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, went to Moscow to negotiate with the Russian leader. US President Donald Trump stated that, according to his representatives, Putin wants to end the war.

Afterward, NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov went to Florida to coordinate aspects of the peace plan.

Currently, the plan is still underdeveloped, and the Kremlin is not satisfied with the existing version. Territorial issues remain problematic, as Putin reportedly wants Ukrainian forces withdrawn from Donbas, along with the return of already-occupied territories to Russia and potentially more.