Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine faces one of the most difficult moments in its history, after Donald Trump demanded Kyiv accepts within days a US-backed peace plan that would force it to give up territory to Russia and make other painful concessions.
Trump confirmed on Friday morning that next Thursday – Thanksgiving in the US – would be an acceptable deadline for Zelenskyy to sign the deal, which European and Ukrainian officials have said amounts to a capitulation. In a sombre 10-minute speech, Zelenskyy said Ukraine's options included agreeing to the 28-point proposal or facing an extremely difficult winter, with Russia having destroyed much of the country's energy infrastructure.
Agreeing to the US-Russian plan could leave Ukraine 'without freedom, dignity and justice', Zelenskyy said, adding that he would never sacrifice Ukraine's interests or go against its constitution. Trump, speaking on Fox radio, said he thought Thursday was an appropriate time for Zelenskyy to sign, and suggested Ukraine could not prevent Russia from taking Donbas by force.
The 28-point plan envisages Ukraine giving up the eastern Donbas region, shrinking its army, ruling out European peacekeepers, and relinquishing long-range weapons while forgoing Nato membership. US officials indicated Trump is pursuing an aggressive timeline and threatening to cut intelligence sharing and weapons supplies if Kyiv fails to agree.
European leaders, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, and Britain's Keir Starmer, pushed back on the proposal, reaffirming support for Kyiv and insisting any agreement must be fair and respect Ukraine's red lines. Zelenskyy also spoke by telephone with US Vice-President JD Vance, after which both countries appointed national security advisers to continue negotiations.
