Poland’s prime minister says Ukraine peace deal could be weeks away

Tuesday 30 December 2025 - 14:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Poland’s prime minister says Ukraine peace deal could be weeks away

Poland’s prime minister said a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine could be achieved within weeks, offering the most optimistic assessment yet from a European leader as diplomatic efforts intensify to halt a conflict nearing its fourth year. Speaking after a government meeting in Warsaw following video consultations with European leaders, Canada, and NATO, Donald Tusk said recent developments had created a window for peace, though he cautioned that Kyiv may face difficult territorial compromises.

Tusk pointed to security guarantees offered to Ukraine by the United States as a key source of renewed hope. He said recent events suggested the war could end sooner than many expect, stressing that the timeline he envisioned was measured in weeks rather than months or years. He added that decisions on Ukraine’s future and the stability of the wider region would need to be taken collectively early in the new year.

His remarks came days after United States president Donald Trump met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar a Lago, where both leaders said they were close to an agreement. Zelensky later said Ukraine and the United States had reached broad alignment on a 20 point peace plan and full consensus on American security guarantees, describing the talks as a significant step forward.

The diplomatic optimism contrasted sharply with signals from Moscow. The Kremlin said it would harden its negotiating stance after alleging that Ukraine launched dozens of drones toward a residence linked to Russian president Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region. Russian officials said all drones were intercepted. Ukraine rejected the accusation, with foreign minister Andriy Sybiga saying no credible evidence had been provided and Zelensky calling the claim a fabrication aimed at undermining peace efforts.

Despite reported progress, major obstacles remain. Disputes persist over control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the future of the Donbass region. Russia is demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of Donetsk it has failed to seize, while Kyiv wants fighting to stop along current front lines. Washington has floated proposals ranging from a free economic zone in contested areas to international management of the nuclear plant, though Ukraine insists any territorial arrangement would require a referendum. Separately, the Dutch prime minister said the Coalition of the Willing, a group backing security guarantees for Ukraine, would meet in the coming days to press ahead with its work.