Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a speech after the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine during the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on January 6, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
U.S. and Ukrainian officials discussed “some ideas” to address the issue of territory during peace talks to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday (January 6, 2026), describing the matter as the biggest remaining obstacle in the process.
Ukraine is under U.S. pressure to quickly secure a peace deal that could include painful concessions, but has refused to accept Russian demands that it cede land it still controls in eastern Donbas.
“The biggest issue that needs to be worked on is the territorial issue. We discussed some ideas that might help,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in Paris after a meeting with European allies to hash out security guarantees for Kyiv.
“If the teams are unable to resolve certain issues, the matter can be brought to the leaders’ level.”
Separately, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters that land options were discussed during the Paris talks, and that discussions would continue.
The Ukrainian delegation would remain in Paris for further consultations, Mr. Zelenskyy added.
Ukraine had said earlier that the U.S. offered the idea of a free economic zone if Kyiv withdraws from parts of the Donetsk region that Ukrainian forces still control.
Published – January 07, 2026 02:40 am IST
