Ukraine Faces Tough Decision As Trump Pushes Contested Peace Plan

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Friday that Ukraine may have to choose between maintaining its dignity and freedom or retaining U.S. support, as former U.S. President Donald Trump called on Kyiv to accept a peace plan endorsing major Russian demands within a week.

Trump told Fox News Radio that Thursday was a suitable deadline for Ukraine to accept the plan, confirming what two sources had told Reuters. He later told reporters the window was short due to the approaching winter and the need to end the bloodshed, adding: "He'll have to like it, and if he doesn't like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting, I guess."

"At some point he's going to have to accept something he hasn't accepted," Trump said, recalling his February meeting with Zelenskyy: "You remember right in the Oval Office, not so long ago, I said, 'You don't have the cards.'"

The 28-point plan drafted by the U.S. calls for Ukraine to cede territory, accept military limits, and abandon NATO ambitions. It also contains elements Moscow may reject and requires Russian forces to withdraw from some areas, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said any resolution must preserve Ukrainian sovereignty and be acceptable to both sides but warned it was "a fantasy" to believe victory could be secured simply through more U.S. funding, weapons, or sanctions against Russia. On X, Vance wrote: "There is a fantasy that if we just give more money, more weapons, or more sanctions, victory is at hand."

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said the plan could form the basis of a final resolution to the nearly four-year conflict. He criticised Kyiv for opposing the plan and suggested European allies did not grasp the reality of Russian advances, Reuters reported.

Proposed Plan Gives Russia Extensive Control

The plan would give Russia de facto control over Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea; freeze the frontlines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia; and establish a demilitarised zone between the current frontline and Donetsk’s border.

Zelenskyy, who has previously rejected the plan as a form of capitulation, appealed for unity and vowed never to betray Ukraine. "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."

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s investment envoy, said the plan aims to prevent further Ukrainian deaths and loss of land. Reuters reported that sources indicated the plan resulted from back-channel discussions between Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy. Dmitriev added on X: "Because of warmongers’ propaganda, many people miss that Trump’s Peace Plan is designed to save Ukraine from losing even more land and lives."

Two sources told Reuters that Washington had threatened to halt intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries if Ukraine refused the deal, though a senior U.S. official later denied any threat to withhold intelligence.

In public statements, Zelenskiy has avoided rejecting the plan outright. "We value the efforts of the United States, President Trump, and his team aimed at ending this war," he said. "This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace."

Experts warn that accepting a poor deal could destabilise Ukraine 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 Zelenskiy accepts this, I anticipate huge political, social and economic instability in Ukraine," Reuters reported.

European Counter-Proposals and Ukrainian Response

Ukraine is reportedly developing a counter-proposal with Britain, France, and Germany, who have not been consulted on the U.S. plan but have expressed strong support for Kyiv. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: "We all want this war to end, but how it ends matters. 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 said the plan was drafted after consultations with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, who previously served as defence minister. A senior U.S. official claimed Umerov agreed to most of the plan with modifications before presenting it to Zelenskiy. Umerov denied agreeing to any terms, stating he only organised talks.

The plan would force Ukraine to withdraw from territories Russia claims as annexed, while Moscow would return smaller areas it occupies elsewhere. Ukraine would be barred permanently from joining NATO, its military capped at 600,000 troops, and NATO prohibited from stationing forces there. Sanctions against Russia would be lifted gradually, Moscow would rejoin the G8, and frozen Russian assets pooled in an investment fund benefiting Washington. One of Ukraine’s main demands—robust, enforceable security guarantees—appears as a single line with no details: "Ukraine will receive robust security guarantees."

(With inputs from Reuters)