Ukraine's president says territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power remain unresolved issues in a peace plan.

The Ukrainian leader rejected the demand, making clear that territorial issues remain unresolved as Ukraine and Europe sent a counterproposal to the United States.

The United States has suggested creating a “free economic zone” in parts of the eastern Donbas region from which Ukraine would withdraw under a negotiated peace with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.

American and Ukrainian representatives continued discussions on a possible framework for a peace deal to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor on Saturday.

A Ukrainian peace plan, sent this week to Washington, pushes back against President Trump’s proposal that Ukraine give up more land for peace.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A senior Kremlin official said Friday that Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine.

In the early months of the invasion, in 2022, the Russians tried to suffocate Ukraine’s economy by imposing a naval blockade of its ports. About 20 million tons of grain got stuck in the port city of Odesa, causing global food prices to spike and raising fears of famine in parts of Africa and the Middle East that rely on supplies from Ukraine.

A US-led peace plan proposes a fast-track Ukraine EU accession by 2027, potentially requiring Kyiv to cede land to Russia in exchange for membership.

The US has indicted a Ukrainian woman for her alleged involvement with Russia-backed cybercriminal groups that have caused disruptions at American water and meat processing facilities, the Justice Department has said.