Ukraine is seeking to reshape its approach to peace talks with Russia amid shifting conditions on the battlefield, officials said ahead of a key meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and former President Donald Trump at the NATO summit on Wednesday. Moving away from a previously proposed 28-point US-backed plan to end the conflict, Kyiv is now aiming to leverage its strengthened position and broader strategic value to press for a more favorable outcome.
Ukrainian officials stressed that there are currently no plans for a trilateral summit involving the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, nor are there structured negotiations based on a specific peace agreement, contrasting with developments last year when direct talks were underway. The lack of formal negotiations, according to Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna, has allowed Ukraine to improve its standing and explore alternative approaches to concluding the war.
“Ukraine has always been ready for substantial diplomatic engagement and remains committed to achieving a just and lasting peace,” Stefanishyna said, while noting that Russia’s leadership has shown little genuine interest in ending the conflict. She emphasized that Kyiv’s view is that breaking the deadlock will require shifting the balance of pressure on Moscow rather than reiterating previous peace proposals.
“A cease-fire doesn’t have to come from endlessly debating a single peace plan,” Stefanishyna added. “There are other paths forward, and I hope Presidents Trump and Zelensky will discuss those opportunities at the NATO summit.”
In recent weeks, Zelensky and his NATO partners have sought to demonstrate to Trump that Ukraine retains significant leverage beyond its military gains. This includes highlighting Ukraine’s combat experience, intelligence capabilities, and its strategic role in European security architecture. The effort coincides with growing frustration on Trump’s part regarding Moscow, stemming from months of stalled diplomatic efforts and a lack of progress toward resolving the conflict.
As the NATO summit convenes, Ukraine’s delegation appears intent on convincing Western interlocutors, including Trump, that the ongoing war is at a critical juncture and that new strategies and leverage points should be pursued to achieve a lasting resolution.