Ukraine prepares contact group meeting on ending the war

Ukraine plans to hold a meeting of a contact group this month to formulate a common position on the diplomatic resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to Ukrainian President's spokesperson Serhiy Nykyforov, RBC-Ukraine reports.Nykyforov said the Contact Group would include countries with long-range military capabilities, those actively investing in Ukraine's defense industry, and others with strategic influence on the country's NATO future.Ukraine anticipates participation from key European partners and the United States to ensure maximum national defense readiness."Ukraine intends to coordinate and develop a unified position to remain strong in any scenario—both in negotiations and on the battlefield," Nykyforov added.At a December 9 joint press conference in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German politician Friedrich Merz discussed establishing a Contact Group involving Germany, France, Poland, and the UK to develop a joint vision with the US.Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is already working on forming such a group and expressed his desire to include Denmark. Advisors outline potential peace plans for Trump administrationDonald Trump's advisors are discussing proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, which may shape the peace plan of the US president-elect, Reuters reports.As of late November, Trump had not formed a dedicated task force for a peace plan, but several advisors had exchanged ideas in public forums and in private discussions, some directly with Trump.Proposals include: Keith Kellogg's Plan -- Co-authored with Fred Fleitz, this plan would suspend US military aid to Ukraine unless Kyiv engages in talks with Moscow. Conversely, a refusal by Russia to negotiate would result in increased US support for Ukraine.J.D. Vance's Proposal -- Advocated in September, this includes establishing a demilitarized zone along the current front line, heavily fortified to prevent further Russian incursions. It also excludes Ukraine's NATO membership.Richard Grenell's Suggestions -- Grenell proposed autonomous regions in eastern Ukraine and opposed Ukraine's immediate NATO membership. He has strong support from Trump on European matters and participated in a September meeting between Trump and Zelensky in New York. All proposals exclude NATO membership for Ukraine.