Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine faces one of its most difficult moments after Donald Trump demanded Kyiv accept a US-backed peace plan within days, a deal that would force it to give up territory to Russia.
The 28-point proposal, which European and Ukrainian officials have described as a “capitulation”, would see Ukraine cede the eastern Donbas region, shrink its army, abandon long-range weapons, and rule out Nato membership. Trump confirmed Friday that next Thursday – Thanksgiving in the US – was an “acceptable” deadline for signing.
In a sombre speech, Zelenskyy said the choice was between national dignity or losing a major partner. He warned that accepting the plan would leave Ukraine “without freedom, dignity and justice” and said he would never sacrifice Ukraine’s interests or go against its constitution. “We did not betray Ukraine then [in 2022], and we will not do so now.”
European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer, spoke to Zelenskyy in a show of solidarity on Friday. They stressed that any agreement must be fair and respect Ukraine’s red lines, and that the existing line of contact should be the starting point for territorial talks.
Trump, speaking on Fox radio, said he believed Ukraine could not prevent Russia from taking Donbas by force. He added: “He’ll have to like it, and if he doesn’t like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting.” Reports suggest the US has threatened to cut intelligence sharing and weapons supplies if Kyiv does not sign.
