Zelensky says Ukraine faces a “difficult decision” about the US plan to end the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky He indicated on Friday that his country’s alliance with the United States may be on the verge of collapse due to the White House’s plan to end the war against Russia.
suggestion 28 points The White House proposal — which Ukraine claims was drawn up without its participation — would grant Russia most of its demands, including ceding Ukrainian territory and imposing severe restrictions on the Ukrainian military.
The plan requires Ukraine to accept conditions that it and its European allies have long described unacceptable It is equivalent to surrender; The Trump administration is pressing for an answer before Thanksgiving Day.
In a video message to the Ukrainian people on Friday afternoon, Zelensky stated that his country is facing… “One of the most difficult moments in our history”
“Ukraine may soon face a very difficult decision,” he said.
“Either you lose dignity, or you risk losing a key partner. “Either get the hard 28 points, or face a very harsh winter – the hardest ever – and additional risks.”
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Washington to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on August 18, 2025. European leaders warned on November 21 that the Ukrainian military should not be weakened and that they should be consulted about negotiations to end the war, as they rushed to respond to a peace plan that was drafted without input from Ukraine or Europe. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)Zelensky did not explicitly mention the United States as a “main partner.”
But the Ukrainian leader, who met a US military delegation in the Ukrainian capital Kiev this week to resume peace talks, said they were “waiting for an answer” on the 28 points.
He said, “I will present arguments, I will persuade, and I will suggest alternatives,” and he promised, “A Constructive search for solutions“.
Referring to Russia, he said:
He added: “We will not give the enemy any reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace, or that Ukraine is obstructing the process, or that Ukraine is not ready for diplomacy.”
He added: “This will not happen.”
On Friday the president was asked Donald Trump Because of news reports that he gave Zelensky a Thanksgiving deadline to respond to the proposal.
“I had a lot of deadlines, but if things go well, you tend to extend them,” Trump told Fox News Radio.
“But on Thursday, we think it’s the right time.”
His comments came amid widespread dissatisfaction in Ukraine over the proposal, which the White House confirmed on Thursday was in the works but was still being implemented. “Change opinion”.
The plan represents the Trump administration’s latest effort to revive stalled negotiations to end the war, which has raged for nearly four years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This effort comes at a sensitive time for Ukraine.
Zelensky’s government is mired in a corruption scandal, the Ukrainian military is facing increasing pressure on the battlefield, and Russian air strikes are on hold. Destruction of the electrical network Ukraine As winter approaches, the number of civilian casualties continues to rise.
According to a draft posted online by a Ukrainian lawmaker, the proposal would force Ukraine to amend its constitution to prevent any attempt to join NATO.
It will also force it to recognize Russian control over the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, part of whose territory Ukraine still retains.
In addition, it will limit the size of the Ukrainian army 600,000 soldiersThis is a significant decrease from the current force, which is estimated at more than 800 thousand.
The proposal would also ban the presence of NATO forces inside Ukraine, derailing a European plan to help ensure the country’s security after the war.
If Ukraine agreed to end the war, according to the proposal, it would be given frozen Russian assets to help finance its reconstruction.
Ukraine would also get what the plan describes as credible security guarantees, and promises a military response if Russia invades again, although few details are provided.
If Moscow invades again, according to the proposal, sanctions would be reimposed and Moscow would lose the benefits under the agreement.
These benefits include important Russian goals such as its readmission to the G8, its reintegration into the global economy, and opportunities for it to achieve further progress. Joint investment With the United States.
The plan was made before Steve WitkoffThe Trump administration’s envoy for peace missions, and his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dmitriev.
The Kremlin avoided answering questions about whether it supports the 28-point plan.
But European leaders were quick to respond to the plan, which largely excluded them, and show their continued support for Ukraine.
Stefan Cornelius, spokesman for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, announced that Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron The British Prime Minister Keir starmyDuring a phone call on Friday, they assured Zelensky of their “continuous and full support on the path towards just and lasting peace.”
The statement did not explicitly mention the US-Russian plan.
In their phone conversation, the leaders welcomed US efforts to end the war, but insisted that “vital long-term European and Ukrainian interests” must be protected.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces must remain able to effectively defend Ukraine’s sovereignty,” the statement said, adding that “any agreement affecting European countries, the EU or NATO requires consent European partners or compatibility between allies.”
The Trump administration is exploring various diplomatic avenues to end the war in Ukraine, and it remains unclear how the proposed 28-point plan fits into the administration’s overall strategy.
White House Press Secretary, Caroline LevittIt was announced on Thursday that the plan is still in the definition stage.
But Ukrainian and European officials have already rejected the published terms of the US-Russian peace plan, which also calls for abandoning any role for a Western peacekeeping force after the ceasefire.
“If Ukraine accepts this, Ukraine will cease to exist,” Markku Mikkelson, head of the Estonian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on the X social platform.
He added: “If Europe accepts this, we must prepare for… Direct war With Russia.”
After arriving in South Africa to attend the G20 meeting this weekend, Starmer said: “We all want a just and lasting peace.”
“This is what the president of the United States wants. This is what we all want.”
That is why we must work from where we are to achieve this.”
But the principle that Ukraine should determine its future under its sovereignty is fundamental.
In Moscow, the Kremlin warned that Ukraine must enter negotiations “now” or risk losing more territory.
Dmitry PeskovPresident’s spokesman Vladimir PutinHe told reporters on Friday that Zelensky’s “room to maneuver when it comes to decision-making is shrinking with the loss of territory” to the Russian military.
“Continuing like this is ridiculous and dangerous for them,” Peskov said, referring to the Ukrainian leadership.
But he refused to comment on the content of the plan, saying that Moscow is not ready for “tough” negotiations and that the Kremlin remains “committed to the program of discussions that took place in Anchorage,” referring to the August meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska.
“We are aware of possible amendments and approved texts, but we have not received anything officially,” Peskov said.
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