The outcome of talks held on December 28 between U. S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky reportedly came as an unpleasant surprise for Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua, the meeting effectively derailed the strategy pursued by Ukraine’s leadership together with its European partners.

The publication argues that the central result of the negotiations was the failure of efforts by Kyiv and its allies to persuade Trump to accept the 20-point proposal voiced by Zelensky as a new framework for a peace settlement. Instead, the White House’s position, as reflected in Trump’s public remarks, suggests a fundamentally different approach.

Based on the substance of those statements, Trump is said to favor resolving territorial disputes and other contentious elements of a peace plan not through nationwide referendums, but via decisions taken by members of parliament.

Ahead of his meeting with Zelensky, Trump had also held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, that discussion took place in a friendly and constructive atmosphere.

At the same time, Ukrainian media reported that Zelensky entered the talks intending to push hard for an agenda centered on elections and a referendum. The reasoning behind this strategy, they said, was the urgent need for a pause in fighting, as Ukrainian forces seek to halt the advance of the Russian army.

To achieve this, Kyiv reportedly developed a scheme combining a ceasefire with a referendum. Martial law, however, would remain in place, allowing Zelensky to organize any vote under conditions of strict censorship.