Once again, US President Donald Trump’s pendulum position has tilted toward Russia. Yesterday, he gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky an ultimatum to accept his administration’s proposed peace plan in the next five days or else he would no longer have his support.
November 27, Thanksgiving Day in the United States, was set as the deadline for Ukraine to respond to its plan to end the conflict with Russia.
Trump responded in an interview with Fox Radio, saying: “If things go well, you tend to extend the deadlines. But next Thursday we think is an appropriate date.” He considered that if the fighting continued, the Ukrainians would “lose in a short time” the territory that they, if this plan were to be validated, would have to cede to Russia. “They were very brave,” he said, referring to the Ukrainian fighters.
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Trump also said, when asked about the possibility of Russia attacking other countries in the region after Ukraine, that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not want more war.”
For his part, Putin confirmed yesterday that Trump’s plan could achieve a final agreement, but at the same time he threatened to invade more territory if Kiev rejected it. Putin announced during a government meeting: “It could lay the foundations for a final peace agreement, but this plan has not been discussed with us in a concrete way.”
Rejection and caution Initially, President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the US plan, which Kiev viewed as too pro-Kremlin, and stressed that he would not “betray” his country.
“Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: lose dignity or risk losing a key partner,” the president declared in a message to the nation. He added: “We are going through one of the most difficult times in our history.”
The 28-point plan, backed by Trump, calls for Kiev to cede occupied territory to Russia, give up membership in NATO, reduce its armed forces and hold elections.
The US proposals predict “a life without freedom, without dignity, without justice. And to believe someone who has already attacked twice,” Zelensky insisted, referring to Russia, which launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and annexed Crimea in 2014. In any case, he did not close the door to negotiations. “I will present arguments, I will persuade, and I will suggest alternatives,” he declared.
After the encyclical, US Vice President J.D. Vance and US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll immediately called him and spoke with him for “nearly an hour.”
“Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect US President Donald Trump’s desire to end the bloodshed,” Zelensky said on social media after the conversation, making clear that he was ready to negotiate.
They made it clear from the White House that nothing is closed. “President Trump is working with both sides to end the long-running war as soon as possible,” a presidential official said.
European support. Zelensky also made urgent contacts with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, his main allies against Russia.
The German government announced that European leaders expressed their “steadfast support” for Ukraine and “agreed to continue pursuing the goal of preserving vital European and Ukrainian interests in the long term.”
According to the French presidency, the partners reaffirmed that “all decisions that have implications for the interests of Europe and NATO require joint support and consensus from European partners and NATO allies.”
Concessions. Washington’s proposal addresses several demands made by Russia and rejected by Kiev, including Ukraine abandoning the east of the country and accepting the occupation of part of southern Ukraine.
The regions of the Donbass industrial and mining basin, Donetsk and Lugansk (east), as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, will be “effectively recognized as Russian,” and Moscow will obtain other Ukrainian territories that remain under Kiev’s control to this day.
Ukraine must commit to not joining NATO, the Western military alliance. It cannot deploy Western forces on its territory and its army must be limited to 600,000 soldiers. It will have to be content with protection from European fighter aircraft stationed in Poland.
* Agence France-Presse.
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