European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have rejected US President Donald Trump's proposed peace terms for Ukraine. During a phone call on Wednesday, Trump criticised the European approach, warning that further talks risked 'wasting time'. The US president said there were 'strong words' exchanged and indicated that US participation in upcoming negotiations would depend on European proposals.
The 'coalition of the willing' group of nations, which supports Ukraine, is set to hold a video call on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join Starmer, Macron, and Merz, along with leaders from around 30 other countries. Zelenskyy is expected to present a revised peace plan to US negotiators before the call.
Trump has vacillated between supportive and dismissive stances on Ukraine since taking office. His recent peace push, which appears favourable to Russia, has alarmed European allies. Trump claimed that Russia is 'fine' with his draft plan but questioned whether Zelenskyy had even read it. Meanwhile, Russian officials have praised Trump's efforts, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stating that Trump is the only Western leader who understands the reasons for the war.
Despite the US-led peace efforts, sceptics argue that Russia shows little readiness to sign a deal, even on terms that would require Kyiv to cede control of the Donbas region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a 'comprehensive settlement' of the conflict. Domestically, Zelenskyy faces pressure from a corruption scandal that led to the dismissal of his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and from Trump's suggestion that Ukraine should hold elections, which is currently illegal under martial law.
