US President Donald Trump has given Ukraine less than a week to accept his plan, widely seen as favoring Russia, to end the war, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his country is going through “one of the most difficult moments” in its history. “I had many deadlines, but if things go well, you want to extend the deadlines. But Thursday is the limit,” the president said in a radio interview with Fox News. CNN reached out to the White House for comment. Addressing the nation via video link on Friday, Zelenskyy stated that the US plan to end the war would mean Ukraine losing its dignity or a key ally. The 28-point plan presented by Trump obliges Kyiv to cede territory, limit the size of its armed forces, and promise not to join NATO in exchange for an end to the war—all long-standing demands of the Kremlin. “The pressure on Ukraine has now reached its peak. Ukraine may be facing a very difficult choice: either lose dignity, or risk losing a key partner, or 28 difficult points, or an extremely harsh winter,” Zelenskyy said. Ukraine “calmly” and promptly will work with the US and its partners to end the war, Zelenskyy stated. On Friday, Zelenskyy discussed this plan with US Vice President JD Vance. A number of European leaders have voiced support for Ukraine following the disclosure of details of Trump’s proposal, promising to stand by Kyiv and insisting that no decisions about the country’s fate should be made without its involvement. Nevertheless, the European Union seems to have been left in the dark, as the US has not yet provided an official document, European Council President António Costa stated on Friday. In a joint phone call with Zelenskyy earlier on Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer “agreed to continue pursuing the goal of protecting vital European and Ukrainian interests in the long term.” This includes “ensuring that the line of contact becomes the starting point for an agreement and that the Ukrainian armed forces maintain the ability to effectively defend Ukraine’s sovereignty,” according to a statement from the German government’s press office, which contradicts the US proposal that involves Ukraine withdrawing from part of its own territory. Zelenskyy: I will not betray Ukraine Trump appears to be giving Russia almost everything it wants, with much of the text resembling the maximalist positions Moscow held in negotiations in Istanbul in 2022, shortly after the invasion when its troops controlled most of Ukraine. Similar to the proposal developed by the Trump administration that led to the Gaza ceasefire, the Ukraine plan is a bulleted list outlining commitments each side must undertake to achieve a durable end to the conflict. The Ukraine plan, which CNN saw, foresees a cessation of hostilities, global funding for reconstruction, and a council to oversee the implementation of commitments, led by the US President. The authenticity of the draft plan was confirmed by a US official. Many of the ideas outlined in the 28-point plan have been rejected in previous negotiations. The plan provided for Russia’s recognition of occupied Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk as “de facto Russian, including by the United States,” which was previously a “red line” for Kyiv. The plan requires the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of eastern Donetsk they currently control, and “this withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized territory belonging to the Russian Federation.” The draft plan includes Ukraine’s commitment not to join NATO, that NATO will not station troops in Ukraine, a limit on the size of the Ukrainian armed forces to 600,000 personnel, and a call for elections in Ukraine within 100 days—which would be extremely difficult to organize. It also provides for Russia’s return to the global economy, including the lifting of sanctions and an invitation for re-entry into the G8. In the Fox News interview on Friday, Trump asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not looking for a new war” and is “being punished,” despite the plan seemingly offering significant concessions to Russia. Zelenskyy stated that he would work around the clock to find a way forward on this plan while asserting that he would not betray his country. “I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will offer alternatives, but we will in no way give the adversary a reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace, that it is sabotaging the process, and that Ukraine is not ready for diplomacy,” Zelenskyy continued.
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