By Amjad Qaimkhani
WASHINGTON: The United States is reportedly on the verge of a breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine, according to President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg.
Kellogg said the proposed peace agreement is in its final stages, with only two major issues remaining: the future of the Donbas region, including Donetsk and Luhansk, and the control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian authority and Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
“Once these two points are resolved, the rest of the issues should be straightforward,” Kellogg said, describing this final phase of negotiation as the most difficult.
The Ukraine conflict began in 2022 after Russia’s invasion and has become Europe’s bloodiest war since World War II. Official figures suggest total casualties and injuries on both sides may exceed two million, though exact numbers remain unconfirmed.
Russia currently occupies roughly 19.2% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, all of Luhansk, over 80% of Donetsk, and large parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Last month, a leaked 28‑point US draft peace proposal sparked concern among Ukrainian and European officials, as it reportedly accepted several Russian demands. The draft envisages the Zaporizhzhia plant returning to operation under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision, with generated electricity shared between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had extensive discussions with Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Russian officials have indicated that Kushner is overseeing key work on the peace draft.
