Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described Ukraine as facing one of its most difficult moments, after Donald Trump demanded Kyiv accept within days a US-backed peace plan that would require giving up territory to Russia and making other concessions. Trump confirmed on Friday that next Thursday, Thanksgiving in the US, would be an acceptable deadline for signing the deal, which European and Ukrainian officials have described as a capitulation.
In a sombre speech outside his presidential palace, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had an impossible choice: keep its national dignity or risk losing a major partner in the shape of a US administration apparently determined to end the conflict on Moscow’s terms. Agreeing to the 28-point proposal could leave Ukraine without freedom, dignity, or justice, he said. He added that he would never sacrifice Ukraine’s interests or go against its constitution.
Trump, speaking on Fox radio, said he believed Ukraine could not prevent Russia from taking the Donbas territories by force. The US president is pursuing an aggressive timeline to end the conflict, with reports suggesting he is threatening to cut vital intelligence sharing and weapons supplies if Kyiv fails to agree. A US official confirmed that it was strongly implied that the United States expects Ukraine to agree to a peace deal.
The 28-point plan envisages Ukraine giving up the eastern Donbas region, including areas it currently controls, and shrinking the size of its army. It rules out European peacekeepers and says Kyiv must relinquish long-range weapons and not join Nato. European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Britain’s Keir Starmer, spoke to Zelenskyy in a show of solidarity, insisting that any agreement must be genuinely fair and take into account Ukraine’s red lines.
Starmer urged a just and lasting peace. Zelenskyy spoke by telephone with US Vice-President JD Vance, describing the call as covering details of the American proposals. Both countries appointed national security advisers to continue negotiations on the draft peace plan.
