Zelensky awaits Russian response to US-backed peace plan by late January

Saturday 10 January 2026 - 10:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Zelensky awaits Russian response to US-backed peace plan by late January

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he expects Russia to reply to a US-supported peace proposal by the end of January, as Kyiv and Washington intensify diplomatic pushes to end nearly four years of conflict.

In a phone interview with Bloomberg, Zelensky disclosed that Ukraine has shared its territorial proposals with US representatives, who will relay them to Moscow via special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He noted learning from National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov that Trump's envoys have engaged Russia in some capacity. These steps follow intensive talks in Paris this week, where Ukrainian and American teams refined a 20-point peace framework. Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev was spotted in Paris on January 7 and visited the US embassy, according to the French newspaper Le Monde.

Zelensky expressed alignment with US President Donald Trump on about 90 percent of the comprehensive peace plan, based on late December discussions at Mar-a-Lago. He hopes to meet Trump either in Washington or at the World Economic Forum in Davos from January 19 to 23 to seal security guarantees and an economic recovery deal. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed on January 9 that Zelensky and his delegation stand ready to travel to the US upon Washington's signal, noting progress across multiple fronts during a press briefing with Czech Foreign Minister Petr Mácinka.

The prosperity plan under negotiation aims to channel roughly 800 billion dollars over a decade toward Ukraine's reconstruction and economic boost, as reported by The Telegraph. Zelensky told Bloomberg he is pursuing a free-trade agreement with the US featuring zero tariffs on bilateral trade.

Territorial control and the fate of the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain the thorniest issues. Russia demands Ukraine withdraw from parts of Donetsk region it still holds, a stance Kyiv firmly rejects. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed the January 8 Paris talks outcomes, branding the Volunteers Coalition's initiatives a "true war axis" and warning that any foreign peacekeeping force would be deemed a legitimate military target.

Despite diplomatic momentum, Russia launched a major strike overnight from January 8 to 9, firing an intermediate-range ballistic missile named Orechnik. Zelensky called for a clear US response, insisting Russia face consequences whenever it refocuses on killings and infrastructure destruction.