Ukraine, now under great pressure to accept the framework of the peace agreement negotiated by the US and Russia / It has until next week / Zelenski, emergency discussion with three European leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump pose for a family photo with other European leaders in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP / Profimedia
Ukraine is now under great pressure from the Donald Trump administration to accept the lines of the peace deal negotiated by the United States with Russia, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.
The information comes after the American press wrote that the 28-point peace plan designed by the US in collaboration with Russia, forces Kiev to give up the territories it still controls in the east of the country, limit the size of its army and accept that it will never join NATO.
The pressure put by the Americans is greater than during previous peace efforts, with Washington threatening Ukraine including stopping the supply of weapons and intelligence, according to the sources of the international news agency.
One of the sources said the Americans want Ukraine to sign a framework agreement by next Thursday.
Zelenski emergency talk with Macron, Starmer and Merz
Under these pressures, the Ukrainian president had a telephone conversation with the leaders of Germany, France and Great Britain on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz assured Zelenskiy of their continued and full support for Ukraine on the path to a lasting and just peace, a German chancellery spokesman said, stressing that Ukrainian forces must remain capable of defending the country's sovereignty.
The four heads of state and government also welcomed the efforts of the United States to end the war in Ukraine, especially the commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and the willingness to provide Ukraine with solid security guarantees.
The head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, has denied that he agreed with the Trump administration's peace plan.
Ukraine's European allies said they had not been consulted on the plan and scheduled the emergency phone call with Zelenskiy around noon.
Ukraine needs a just peace, security guarantees and effective deterrents to aggressors, parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said Friday after meeting with senior US military officials in Kiev.
The Russians say they haven't received anything official, but they are also pressuring Ukraine
The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia had yet to receive anything official from the United States on a 28-point US peace plan for Ukraine, saying it was ready to negotiate.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow and Washington were not yet discussing the proposals in detail, but that contacts were taking place.
“There are certain ideas from the American side, but nothing concrete is currently being discussed. We are completely open – we maintain our openness to peace negotiations,” Peskov told the media.
He said that Russian advances on the battlefield are reducing the Ukrainian president's options: “The effectiveness of the actions of the Russian armed forces should convince Zelensky and his regime that it is better to negotiate and do it now. It is better to do it now than later. His decision space is reduced as he loses territory during the offensive actions of the Russian armed forces.”
Continuing the war was “unnecessary and dangerous” for Ukraine, Peskov said. “The (Ukrainian) regime must take a responsible decision. Do it now and take responsibility,” added Vladimir Putin's spokesman.
