Crimea is a stumbling block. Ukraine's demands to the US, Europe and Russia have been voiced
The British newspaper The Telegraph published Ukraine's demands, which were voiced by Zelensky's negotiators during the failed meeting in London.
The publication claims that it has reviewed the document, which was drawn up in London and, according to Zelensky, is “on the desk” of US President Trump.
Details of Kyiv's five-point list of demands reveal significant differences between it and the seven-point US plan unveiled this week. At the center of these differences is Kyiv's insistence that Crimea not be recognized as Russian territory . Ukraine hopes to preclude any formal international recognition of Russia's sovereignty over the territories captured by Russian forces during the fighting.
Points 1 and 2 of the document , seen by The Telegraph, focus on ensuring that any peace agreement is "based on international law and not on capitulation" , with a specific warning about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
They also stress the importance of clear "security guarantees" as a condition for any future peace deal in which Ukraine cedes territory to Russia, even on a temporary basis.
Point 3, according to the publication's editorial board, represents an attempt to wrest control of the negotiations from Trump and return Ukraine to the center of the peace process.
Point 4 serves as a warning to both the US and NATO that giving Russia control of Crimea "would allow it to threaten to attack not only Ukraine but also its Black Sea allies – Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria."
Point 5 makes it clear that Russia should not be allowed to use the agreement to limit the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces or Ukraine's defense industry.
As The Telegraph notes, Keir Starmer insists that Ukraine should have the right to independently determine the terms of any peace agreement with Russia, thereby challenging Donald Trump's already announced plans.
The British Prime Minister also refuted Trump's words, saying that Zelensky was not to blame for the failure of negotiations to end the conflict.
"No. The aggressor is Russia. Never forget that Zelensky was offered by us the opportunity to leave his country safely and seek asylum in the UK in the first week of the conflict. At that time, everyone thought that Russia would very quickly achieve its goal of taking over Ukraine. But he stayed to fight and lead his country, which he has been doing with great courage and fortitude for more than three years, as has his entire country. It is Russia that must sit down at the negotiating table and agree to a ceasefire," the British Prime Minister insists.
Starmer also refused to back US plans to formally recognise Crimea as Russian in any deal with Vladimir Putin and demanded that Moscow agree to an "unconditional ceasefire".
"We are in an intensive phase of negotiations. Ultimately, I always remember that it is Ukraine that must decide these issues—not others that decide for Ukraine. Ukraine must decide. And Russia must come to the negotiating table to achieve this unconditional ceasefire," Starmer said in an interview with The Telegraph aboard the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier.
It is noted that Starmer's support and praise for Zelensky contrasts sharply with statements by Trump, who the day before accused the Ukrainian leader of "prolonging the killing."
Asked whether he would accept a peace deal that recognised Crimea as part of Russia - something the US is understood to have offered in the talks - Starmer said: "That's not for me to decide. That's part of the negotiations."
The British Prime Minister also expressed hope that a ceasefire would be declared by summer. He reiterated his call for the United States to provide security guarantees to British and other Western troops deployed to Ukraine to monitor the peace process, something Trump has not yet publicly promised.
"It has to be a ceasefire on terms acceptable to all sides, including Ukraine, and it has to be a lasting ceasefire. I don't want to see a temporary ceasefire because I am absolutely convinced that that will simply leave Russia with the opportunity and the means to attack again in the future. They have done that before and I have no doubt they will do it again," Starmer added.
The public disagreements between London and Washington, the newspaper notes, are also reflected in private conversations, where British officials are trying to achieve pro-Ukrainian changes in the draft agreement, which is being overseen by the White House.
"Crimea is the key stumbling block. Recognizing Russian control over the region would violate one of the fundamental principles of international law—no country may annex another's territory—and would infringe on Ukraine's constitution, which stipulates that territory can only be ceded by referendum," The Telegraph concludes.