Ukraine faces 'difficult choice' as Trump demands acceptance of peace plan

KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Friday that Ukraine risked losing its dignity and freedom — or Washington's backing — over a U.S. peace plan that endorses key Russian demands, a proposal Donald Trump said Kyiv should accept within a week.

The president told Fox News Radio he believed Thursday was an appropriate deadline for Kyiv to accept the plan, confirming what two sources told Reuters.

Trump later told reporters that time was short given the approaching winter and need to end the bloodshed, and that Zelenskyy would have to approve the plan.

"He'll have to like it, and if he doesn't like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting, I guess," he said.

"At some point he's going to have to accept something he hasn't accepted," Trump said.

Recalling his fractious February meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump added: "You remember, right, in the Oval Office, not so long ago, I said, 'You don't have the cards.'"

Washington's 28-point plan calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits to its military and renounce ambitions to join NATO. It also contains some proposals Moscow may object to and requires its forces to pull back from some areas they have captured, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who has previously refused to budge on Russia's key territorial and security demands, said on Friday the U.S. plan could be the basis of a final resolution of the nearly 4-year-old conflict. He said Kyiv was against the plan, but neither it nor its European allies understood the reality of Russian advances in Ukraine.

'Dignity and freedom of Ukrainians'

Zelenskyy, who has rejected the plan's terms in the past as capitulation, appealed to Ukrainians for unity and said he would never betray Ukraine.

"Now, Ukraine can face a very difficult choice — either losing dignity or risk losing a major partner," he said in a speech to the nation, adding: "I will fight 24/7 to ensure that at least two points in the plan are not overlooked – the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians."

Putin's investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said on Friday the U.S. plan was aimed at preventing more Ukrainian deaths and loss of territory.

Several sources have told Reuters that the plan was the result of back-channel conversations between Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy.

"Because of warmongers' propaganda, many people miss that Trump's Peace Plan is designed to save Ukraine from losing even more land and lives," Dmitriev wrote in English on the X social media platform.

Two sources told Reuters that Washington had threatened to cut off intelligence sharing and weapons supplies to Ukraine if it does not accept the deal. A senior U.S. official later said it was not accurate to say the U.S. threatened to withhold intelligence.

In public, Zelenskyy, who spoke on Friday with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France as well as with Vice President JD Vance, has appeared careful not to reject the U.S. plan or offend the Americans.

"We value the efforts of the United States, President Trump, and his team aimed at ending this war," Zelenskyy said. "We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace."

A poor deal for Ukraine could test the stability of its society after nearly four years of relentless warfare.

"Russia gets everything it wants, and Ukraine gets not very much," said Tim Ash, of Britain's Chatham House think tank. "If Zelenskyy accepts this, I anticipate huge political, social and economic instability in Ukraine."

The plan is expected to dominate discussions on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg that European leaders are attending this weekend despite a boycott by Trump.

'A very dangerous moment'

Three sources told Reuters that Ukraine was working on a counterproposal to the 28-point plan with Britain, France and Germany. The Europeans have not been consulted on the U.S. plan and have expressed strong support for Kyiv.

"We all want this war to end, but how it ends matters. Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded," said the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. "This is a very dangerous moment for all."

U.S. officials have said their plan was drafted after consultations with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, a close Zelenskyy ally who served as defense minister until July.

Umerov "agreed to the majority of the plan, after making several modifications, and presented it to President Zelenskyy," a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

However, Umerov denied agreeing to any of the plan's terms, and said he had played only a technical role organizing talks.

Russia's demands spelled out, Kyiv's left vague

The plan would require Ukraine to withdraw from territory it still controls in eastern provinces that Russia claims to have annexed, while Russia would give up smaller amounts of land it holds in other regions.

Ukraine would be permanently barred from joining the NATO military alliance, and its armed forces would be capped at 600,000 troops. NATO would agree never to station troops there.

Sanctions against Russia would be gradually lifted, Moscow would be invited back into the G8 group of industrialized countries, and frozen Russian assets would be pooled in an investment fund, with Washington given some of the profits.

One of Ukraine's main demands, for enforceable guarantees equivalent to NATO's mutual defense clause to deter Russia from attacking again, is dealt with in a single line with no details: "Ukraine will receive robust security guarantees."

Contributing: Max Hunder, Anastasiia Malenko, Yuliia Dysa, Dan Peleshuk and Alessandro Parodi

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