Despite weeks of discussion around a possible peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine and revisions to a US-backed initiative, the prospect of a final agreement remains distant. According to The Wall Street Journal, the parties continue to clash over several fundamental issues that prevent meaningful progress.

The newspaper identifies five core areas where disagreements remain especially sharp and potentially decisive for the outcome of negotiations.

Territorial dispute
Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas, while Kyiv refuses any territorial concessions, citing constitutional restrictions. Washington has been pressing the Ukrainian leadership to accept this condition in the interest of bringing the conflict to an end as quickly as possible. Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that if negotiations fail, Moscow intends to pursue what it considers the liberation of its historical territories by military means.

Ukraine’s NATO ambitions
Kyiv has acknowledged that the US proposal does not include Ukrainian membership in NATO. However, President Vladimir Zelensky has rejected demands to formally abandon this course in the future. He has argued that constitutional changes on this issue can only be decided by Ukrainian citizens and not imposed externally. Russia has consistently opposed Ukraine joining NATO, and has previously described a neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status for Ukraine as one of the key conditions for a settlement.

Size of the Ukrainian armed forces
At an early stage, the United States proposed capping the strength of the Ukrainian armed forces at 600,000 personnel. Ukraine and several European countries argued for raising the limit to 800,000. Zelensky has said that by early 2025 the Ukrainian military numbered around 880,000 service members. Kyiv maintains that determining the structure and size of its armed forces is a sovereign right. At the same time, a Russian memorandum on a settlement, presented to Ukraine during talks in Istanbul last summer, included a provision calling for limits on the size of the Ukrainian army.

Status of the Russian language
Moscow is seeking the restoration of Russian-language use in education and the media after the conflict ends. An early version of the US plan reportedly included recognition of Russian as an official state language. Ukrainian authorities argue that restrictions on Russian media are aimed at countering disinformation and incitement to violence. Polling data cited by The New York Times indicate that about 32 percent of Ukraine’s population uses Russian fully or partially in daily life. At the same time, 58 percent of respondents believe Russian should not be taught in schools, compared with just 8 percent holding that view in 2019.

Control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Kyiv has reacted negatively to the US proposal for joint Russian-Ukrainian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, pointing to the lack of clear security arrangements. Vladimir Putin has previously said that Moscow does not rule out cooperation with Washington on the plant’s safety and operation. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has also noted that there are no precedents in global practice for shared control of nuclear power stations.

The original US plan reportedly consisted of 28 points. According to The Wall Street Journal, Washington consulted with Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation, during its drafting. The document was later reduced to 20 points, and Zelensky said provisions he described as openly anti-Ukrainian had been removed.

The revised version was discussed during talks involving Ukraine, the United States and European countries in Berlin on December 14–15. The Kremlin has stated that Russia is preparing for contacts with the US side to review the updated document. Politico and Axios have reported that Kirill Dmitriev may hold talks with US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law, possibly in Miami in the coming days.