Ukraine risks losing its dignity or a “key partner”, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday, as his government faced pressure from the US to agree to new peace agreement by Thanksgiving or lose American support.
The White House wants Kyiv to sign off on a “framework” to end the war in Ukraine by Thursday based on a US-drafted 28-point peace plan, according to three US officials.
The US has communicated this goal to the Ukrainian government, although officials have stressed that it is a goal rather than a firm deadline. Negotiations to end the conflict are expected to be quite complex and will take more than a week, these officials acknowledged.
“This is one of the most difficult moments in our history,” Zelensky said in a somber 10-minute video addressed to the Ukrainian people.
“Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the toughest,” he said. “Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice: either lose its dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner, or a difficult 28 points, or a very difficult winter,” Zelensky added, calling on the nation to remain united during what he called a “very difficult, eventful” week.
His stark warning came as Ukraine and its allies rushed to respond to an offer that would provide Russia with key demands at a moment of Kyiv's weakness.
The Kremlin said it was not familiar with the details of the plan but called on Ukraine to make a “responsible decision” in light of growing pressure on the battlefield.
Zelensky held an urgent conversation with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France, after which he said he appreciated President Donald Trump's efforts and would continue to work with American officials to ensure that “Kyiv's principled positions will be taken into account.”
Sudden emergence of a plan caused concern across the continentRussia fears that an agreement that includes major concessions to Ukraine could embolden Russia further.
A senior US official told NBC News that the plan was drawn up immediately after negotiations with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. He “agreed to most of the plan, after making a few changes, and presented it to President Zelensky,” the official said.
Umerov denied this information on Friday.
“During my visit to the USA, my role was technical – organizing meetings and preparing dialogue. I did not give any assessments, much less agreement on any points. This is not within my authority and does not comply with the procedure,” he said in a post on X.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said any deal must provide full security and deterrence guarantees for Ukraine, Europe and Russia.
“This plan was designed to reflect the realities of the situation after five years of devastating war, to find the best win-win scenario where both sides get more than they have to give,” she said.
