Zelenskyy is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and showing Trump he is willing to make some compromises.
Ukraine is expected to hand its latest peace proposals to US negotiators on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, a day ahead of urgent talks with leaders and officials from around 30 countries supporting Kyiv's effort to end the war with Russia on acceptable terms.
Washington's goal of a swift compromise to stop the fighting that followed Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022 is reducing Kyiv's room to manoeuvre.
Zelenskyy is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and signalling to US President Donald Trump that he is willing to make some compromises, even as Moscow shows no public signs of budging from its maximalist demands.
Ukraine's European allies are backing Zelenskyy’s efforts to ensure that any settlement is fair and deters future Russian attacks, while accommodating Europe's defence interests.
The French government said Ukraine's allies, dubbed the "Coalition of the Willing," will discuss the negotiations by video on Thursday. Zelenskyy said it would include the leaders of those countries.
"We need to bring together 30 colleagues very quickly. And it's not easy, but nevertheless we will do it," he said late on Tuesday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin that "we are currently witnessing considerable diplomatic momentum" in peace efforts.
Zelenskyy said discussions with the US, scheduled for later on Wednesday, would focus on a document outlining plans for Ukraine's postwar reconstruction and economic development.
Also, Ukraine is finalising a separate 20-point framework to end the war, which Zelenskyy would submit to Washington in the near future.
As tension builds around Trump's push for a settlement and his calls for an election in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said his country would be ready for such a vote within three months if partners can guarantee safe balloting during wartime and if its electoral law can be altered.
Zelenskyy's openness to an election was a response to comments by Trump in which he questioned Ukraine’s democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to stand before voters.
Those comments echo similar remarks often made by Moscow to delegitimise the government in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy told reporters late on Tuesday he is "ready" for an election but would need help from the US and possibly Europe to ensure its security.
He suggested Ukraine could be ready to hold balloting in 60 to 90 days if that proviso is met.
"To hold elections, two issues must be addressed: primarily, security — how to conduct them, how to do it under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military — how they would vote," Zelenskyy said.
"And the second issue is the legislative framework required to ensure the legitimacy of elections," he said.
Previously, Zelenskyy had pointed out that a ballot cannot legally take place while martial law, imposed after Russia’s invasion, remains in place. He has also asked how a vote could happen when civilian areas of Ukraine are being bombarded by Russia and almost 20% of the country is under Moscow's occupation.
Zelenskyy said he has asked lawmakers from his party to draw up legislative proposals allowing for an election while Ukraine is under martial law.
Ukrainians have on the whole supported Zelenskyy's arguments and have not demanded an election. Under the applicable law, Zelenskyy's rule is legitimate.
Military support for Ukraine declines
Europe's support is uneven, however, and that has meant a decrease in military support since the Trump administration this year cut off supplies to Kyiv unless other NATO countries paid for them.
Foreign military help for Ukraine fell sharply over the summer and that trend continued through September and October, a German body that tracks international help for Ukraine said Wednesday.
Average annual aid, provided mainly by the US and Europe, was about €41.6 billion between 2022 and 2024. But so far this year Kyiv has received just €32.5 billion, the Kiel Institute said.
This year, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have substantially increased their help for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Germany nearly tripled its average monthly allocations and France and the UK both more than doubled their contributions, the Kiel Institute said.
On the other hand, Spain recorded no new military support for Kyiv in 2025 while Italy reduced its low contributions by 15% compared to 2022 to 2024.