Diplomatic Efforts Bring Hope for Peace in Ukraine

Fri Dec 05 2025 06:44:16 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Amid frantic diplomacy culminating in key discussions, optimism grows regarding a potential resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, though challenges remain.

After intense diplomatic negotiations, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about nearing a peace agreement. Despite some positive responses from Russia, significant challenges regarding security guarantees and territorial disputes remain unresolved. As discussions continue, the international community watches closely for developments that may lead to a sustainable and just peace.

Are we any closer to peace in Ukraine?

After a frantic, often confusing few days of diplomacy, Donald Trump seems to think so.

We're getting very close to a deal, he told reporters on Tuesday.

For his part, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who had looked and sounded grim over the weekend, said there were now many prospects that can make the path to peace real.

There are significant results, he said, after reviewing the results of Sunday's key discussions in Geneva, and there is still much work to be done. But from the Russians, apart from some discontented mutterings about European involvement and unauthorized leaks, the response has been somewhat muted.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that Moscow viewed some elements of the latest draft positively but many require special discussions among experts.

Last Wednesday already seems like aeons ago. That is when a leaked draft of a 28-point US plan to end the war first emerged, causing consternation in Kyiv.

By the weekend, European leaders drafted a counter-proposal, emphasizing negotiations on territorial swaps and security guarantees. However, it's unclear how much influence European leaders had in the talks in Geneva.

Despite tensions, diplomats have returned to their posts with a renewed sense of urgency. Ukrainian officials expressed relief with recent developments, but lingering concerns persist about the terms and guarantees of any potential peace deal.

At the heart of the discussions remains the question of security guarantees, critical for Ukraine's future stability. As negotiations continue, all eyes are on the upcoming talks in Moscow, anticipated to shape the direction of peace efforts significantly.