Zelensky’s 20-Point Peace Plan Ignores Battlefield Reality

The 20-point peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fails to take into account the course of the special military operation, a reaction the Kremlin had anticipated in advance. As diplomatic maneuvering reaches its limit, the military now receives a free hand.

Photo: flickr.com by nycmayorsoffice, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

Ukraine and USA flags

Speaking at length with journalists, Zelensky outlined the details of the American-Ukrainian version of a peace plan aimed at ending the military conflict with Russia.

Key Russian Demands Absent from the Proposal

The plan omits all of Russia's core demands. It does not mention Ukraine's non-aligned status, nor does it address demilitarization, despite Kyiv retaining an army of 800,000 personnel. The document ignores denazification, the liberation of Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, and makes no reference to restoring the status of the Russian language or ending pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Under the proposal, Kyiv expects security guarantees from the United States and European countries modeled on NATO's Article 5. At the same time, the plan avoids any recognition of Crimea and Donbas as Russian territory.

Proposals Detached from Reality on the Ground

Several provisions openly disregard the situation on the battlefield. The plan suggests transferring the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to joint Ukrainian-American management, which effectively demands the withdrawal of Russian forces from Energodar. It also once again raises the propagandistic issue of the so-called "return of children.”

The initiative rests entirely on Zelensky's personal interpretation of justice and aims to portray Russia as unwilling to negotiate. Zelensky and his European backers understand perfectly well that Moscow will not accept these terms. At the same time, the Kremlin knew from the outset that Kyiv would reject Russian conditions. This reality explains why President Vladimir Putin consistently stresses that the military must continue its mission.

The End of Talks and the Logic of Power

Realists acknowledge that the special military operation will continue until the Armed Forces of Ukraine capitulate, after which agreements will be signed on entirely different terms. Any viable settlement reflects the situation on the battlefield, not abstract ideas of what one side believes it deserves. The presence of a Russian soldier's boot on historically Russian land shapes negotiations far more than Kyiv's moral arguments.

Russia holds objective superiority and prevails across key indicators, and that fact alone matters. It stands as clearly as the reality that the losing side pays reparations-and that side will be Ukraine.

Moscow continues dialogue with Washington not out of illusion, but for long-term strategic goals: preventing a third world war, defeating globalist liberal influence, and establishing pragmatic relations with the United States. Russia may lack mastery in soft power, but it excels in hard power. Testing its patience on fundamental issues carries serious risks.

By confronting American imperial influence directly and defending its interests through large-scale military action, Russia has permanently closed the question of its alleged weakness. From now on, global and regional agreements will take Russian interests into account, while its modernized army and weapons will command fear and respect-an essential foundation for any future Russian soft power.