Negotiating teams from Kyiv and Washington are expected to tackle the "most difficult issues" in Ukraine peace talks on Wednesday, including territory following a breakthrough in European-led negotiations, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said the teams would dedicate the second day of the Paris talks to the fate of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and control of territory in eastern Ukraine.
"Another session of talks with envoys of the president of the United States will take place, and this will already be the third such session in two days," he said in a post on Facebook.
"The most difficult issues from the basic framework for ending the war will be discussed - namely, issues related to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and territories."
Zelensky also stressed it was important for Kyiv's Western allies to put pressure on Moscow.
"Peace must be dignified. And this depends on the partners, on whether they ensure Russia's real readiness to end the war," he said.
Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy's new chief of staff and former top spy, said on Wednesday "there are already concrete results" but added that "not all information can be made public."
Security guarantees
On Tuesday, leaders from almost 30 Western countries and US, EU and NATO envoys announced they had agreed key security guarantees for Kyiv as they sought to present a united front for Ukraine despite tensions over a US military operation in Venezuela and President Donald Trump's designs on Greenland.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner represented Washington in the talks amid efforts to end nearly four years of war in Ukraine sparked by Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.
But there has been no let-up in fighting in what has been Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II and Moscow's current negotiating position is far from clear.
France and the United Kingdom have confirmed their intention to deploy their soldiers on Ukrainian soil after an eventual ceasefire as part of a broader package of security guarantees to avoid a repeat of Russia's full-scale invasion in the future.
The commitment was signed in a formal declaration by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the end of a meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" in Paris on Tuesday.
"I can say that following a ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine's defensive needs," Starmer said at the conclusion.
Macron said the multinational force would be deployed "away from the contact line" in the air, sea and land to provide the necessary "reassurance" so that Russia does not attack Ukraine again. Turkey, he said, would join in the operation with maritime support.
But Russian leader Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said he does not want to see NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine.
"As for security guarantees from our European partners and the United States of America, we are discussing the continent, protection on land, in the air, at sea, as well as a separate track, air defence, strengthening our army, and additional funding for personnel," Zelenskyy told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked by reporters which countries would put boots on the ground in post-war Ukraine and how they would respond to a potential further attack by Russia, Zelenskyy said "I am not ready to share details in response to your questions."
"But all of this is already in place, has been worked out and there is a clear understanding of this. But I really want everything to be legally approved first by the parliaments of European countries and other countries around the world that are part of the coalition of the willing. Once it is approved, we will be ready to give open answers," he said.
