Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is confronting one of the most difficult moments in its modern history as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes Kyiv to accept a controversial American-backed peace proposal that would require Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia and agree to sweeping concessions.
Trump confirmed on Friday that Thanksgiving Day would be an “acceptable” deadline for Zelenskyy to approve the 28-point plan, which European officials and Ukrainian lawmakers have described as a near-total “capitulation” to Moscow.
Speaking in a somber address outside the presidential palace, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was being forced into an “impossible choice”: preserve national dignity and sovereignty or risk losing support from a U.S. administration determined to end the war on Russia’s terms.
“Now the pressure on Ukraine is one of the heaviest,” he said, warning that the alternative to accepting the deal would be an “extremely difficult winter” as Russia continues to devastate Ukraine’s energy grid, plunging millions into darkness and cold.
Zelenskyy stressed that the proposal would strip Ukraine of freedom, justice, and core national principles, and would require it to trust a country “that has attacked us twice.”
“We did not betray Ukraine in 2022, and we will not do so now,” he declared.
Trump’s ultimatum and threats
Trump has signaled he wants the conflict resolved rapidly and has warned Kyiv that U.S. intelligence support and weapons transfers could be reduced if it refuses the terms.
U.S. officials said the expectation that Ukraine accept the deal was “strongly implied” during discussions with Kyiv.
Speaking on Fox radio, Trump said Thursday would be an “appropriate time” for Ukraine to sign, adding that he doubted Kyiv could stop Russia from seizing Donbas militarily.
“If he doesn’t like it, they can keep fighting,” Trump said of Zelenskyy. “But at some point he’s going to have to accept something.”
What the Trump plan demands
The 28-point document reportedly requires Ukraine to:
• Cede the entire Donbas region, including areas it still controls
• Reduce the size of its military
• Give up long-range weapons
• Accept that European peacekeepers will not be deployed
• Abandon its bid to join NATO
European governments and Ukrainian MPs have rejected the proposal as “absurd.
Diplomatic pushback from Europe
Western allies including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Zelenskyy on Friday, reaffirming that any settlement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and red lines.
The European leaders insist that the current front line — not Moscow’s demands — must form the starting point for territorial talks.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned that rewarding an invasion would set a “dangerous precedent” and encourage further aggression globally.
Continued negotiations and U.S. pressure
Zelenskyy spoke for an hour with U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, who has previously urged Kyiv to make concessions to end the war quickly.
Zelenskyy said the discussion covered “many details” of the American plan and that both countries’ national security advisers would continue negotiations.
Behind the scenes, Ukrainian officials fear another diplomatic clash with the White House similar to the February incident when Trump and Vance expelled Zelenskyy from the Oval Office, briefly cutting off U.S. intelligence flows.
Trump has stopped direct U.S. military aid but continues supplying advanced systems through the UN’s Ukraine requirements list, funded by European partners.
A delegation led by U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. Driscoll, appointed Trump’s newest “special representative,” is expected to travel to Moscow next week for talks on the peace proposal.
Moscow’s reaction
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Friday that the Kremlin had received the U.S. plan and said it could “form the basis” for a settlement, although Russian officials still expect additional guarantees — including NATO non-expansion and a constitutionally neutral Ukraine.
Kremlin insiders say Russia may only tolerate a future Ukrainian EU membership if it excludes any military component.
Backlash in Ukraine and abroad
Ukrainian civil society groups have strongly denounced the proposal, calling it one-sided and equivalent to surrender. The push comes at a time when Zelenskyy is under domestic pressure following corruption allegations involving close associates.
European analysts were similarly critical.
Brookings Institution expert Constanze Stelzenmüller called the plan “outrageous” and said its drafting process was “appalling,” arguing that it would turn Russia into the dominant power in Europe.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage — usually sympathetic to Trump — also opposed the demand that Ukraine halve its army, calling it unacceptable
Zelenskyy: Ukraine wants peace, not defeat
In his address, Zelenskyy praised Ukrainians for nearly four years of resistance to Russia’s full-scale invasion, and hinted that some compromises might eventually be necessary — but not ones that threaten the country’s survival.
“Our people want this war to end,” he said. “We are strong, but even the strongest metal can break.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine would continue discussions with Washington “calmly and constructively,” offering alternatives while insisting on protecting core national interests.
He noted that “practically every hour” was now devoted to negotiations, calls, and emergency meetings, underscoring the stakes involved.
Ukraine, he said, welcomed U.S. diplomatic efforts but needed “a real peace — one that cannot be shattered by a third Russian invasion.”
