President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday that Ukraine risked losing its dignity and freedom — or Washington’s backing — over a U.S. peace plan that endorses key Russian demands, a proposal Donald Trump said Kyiv should accept within a week.
The U.S. president told Fox News Radio he believed Thursday was an appropriate deadline for Kyiv to accept the plan, confirming what two sources told Reuters. Washington’s 28-point proposal calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and abandon its ambitions to join NATO.
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(Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff/ AFP, Alex Brandon/ AP, Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/ AFP, Google arts & Culture)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said late on Friday the U.S. plan could serve as a basis for ending the nearly four-year-old conflict. He has repeatedly refused to compromise on Russia’s territorial and security demands.
Dignity and freedom of Ukrainians
In a solemn speech delivered outdoors in front of his office — a location he reserves for moments of national significance — Zelensky appealed for unity and vowed not to betray Ukraine.
“Now is one of the most difficult moments of our history. Now, Ukraine can face a very difficult choice — either losing dignity or risk losing a major partner,” he said. “I will fight 24/7 to ensure that at least two points in the plan are not overlooked: the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians.”
Two sources said the United States has threatened to halt intelligence sharing and weapons supplies if Kyiv rejects the plan. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, though a senior U.S. official later said it was inaccurate to claim Washington explicitly threatened to withhold intelligence.
Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House
(Video: Reuters)
Putin, in televised remarks, said Kyiv opposed the plan but argued that neither Ukraine nor its European partners acknowledged “the reality” of Russian battlefield advances.
Zelensky spoke on Friday with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France, and later with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. He said they agreed to have advisers work together “to find a workable path to peace.”
Publicly, Zelensky has refrained from rejecting the U.S. proposal or criticizing Trump.
“We value the efforts of the United States, President Trump and his team aimed at ending this war. We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace,” he said.
But Kyiv has previously dismissed similar terms as capitulation. Accepting them now could trigger upheaval after nearly four years of war.
“Russia gets everything it wants and Ukraine gets not very much,” said Tim Ash of Britain’s Chatham House. “If Zelensky accepts this, I anticipate huge political, social and economic instability in Ukraine.”
A very dangerous moment
Three sources said Ukraine was preparing a counter-proposal alongside Britain, France and Germany. European leaders were not consulted on the U.S. plan and have voiced strong support for Kyiv’s position.
“We all want this war to end, but how it ends matters,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded. This is a very dangerous moment for all.”
U.S. officials argue the plan was drafted after consultations with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and former defense minister. A senior U.S. official said Umerov “agreed to the majority of the plan” after modifications.
Umerov denied agreeing to any terms, saying he played only a technical role in facilitating discussions.
Russia’s demands spelled out, Kyiv’s left vague
The plan requires Ukraine to withdraw from territory it still holds in eastern regions Russia claims to have annexed. In return, Russia would relinquish limited ground it controls elsewhere.
Ukraine would be permanently barred from joining NATO, and its armed forces capped at 600,000 troops. NATO would pledge never to station forces there. Sanctions on Russia would be gradually lifted, Moscow would be invited back into the G8 and frozen Russian assets would be pooled into an investment fund partly benefiting Washington.
Ukraine’s key demand — binding security guarantees equivalent to NATO’s mutual defense clause — is addressed only in a brief, unspecific line: “Ukraine will receive robust security guarantees.”
Trump has echoed some of Moscow’s justifications for its 2022 invasion while also expressing frustration with Russia. Last month he canceled a proposed summit with Putin and imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies. The sanctions take full effect Friday, the deadline for foreign buyers to wind down purchases of Russian oil.
Trump said he expected the “powerful” measures to achieve their intended impact, adding that Russia’s economy depends heavily on oil. He said he would not lift the sanctions until the 28-point peace plan is implemented.
European diplomacy intensifies
U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by phone on Friday evening about the peace plan, a German government spokesperson said. The call lasted about 15 minutes, and Merz will now brief other European partners to coordinate next steps.
The U.S. proposal, seen by Reuters, gives Russia much of what it seeks as it continues to inch forward on the battlefield and now controls nearly one-fifth of Ukraine.
Discussion of the plan is expected to dominate the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend, where Europe’s most powerful leaders are gathering despite Trump’s boycott. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will host a call Friday evening with counterparts from Germany, Poland, Britain, Finland, Italy and the EU’s foreign policy chief as part of the so-called Washington format.
The Washington format refers to a meeting earlier this year in Washington that brought together leaders from those nations to coordinate peace efforts for Ukraine.