Ukraine pushes new approach to end Russia war ahead of Trump-Zelensky meeting

Ukraine has moved past the 28-point draft plan to end the war with Russia and is pushing for a better deal now that the battlefield conditions have changed, officials told The Post.Ahead of a critical sit-down between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday at the NATO summit, Kyiv is shifting away from a specific US-backed peace framework and toward convincing Trump that Ukraine still holds key leverage in the fight.There are no plans for a US-Ukraine-Russia summit and no structured discussions around a specific peace agreement – a change from last year when active talks were underway, Ukraine officials say.The absence of negotiations has allowed Ukraine to improve its footing and “gives us reason to think more creatively about ending the war,” Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna told The Post.Ukrainian officials see Trump’s growing frustration with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as an opportunity to pressure the Kremlin to stop its war.“Ukraine has always been ready for substantial diplomatic engagement and remains committed to achieving a just and lasting peace,” Stefanishyna said.“Unfortunately, the Russian leader has shown no genuine interest in ending the war.” Ukrainian officials believe ending the conflict will require changing the balance of pressure on Moscow rather than negotiating another version of the same peace proposal.“A cease-fire doesn’t have to come from endlessly debating a single peace plan.

There are other paths forward, and I hope Presidents Trump and Zelensky will discuss those opportunities at the NATO summit,” Stefanishyna said.Zelensky and his NATO allies have spent recent weeks trying to demonstrate to Trump that Ukraine has leverage beyond the battlefield, including its combat experience, intelligence capabilities and role in European security.The effort comes as Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Moscow after months of diplomatic efforts failed to produce ...