US peace plan for Ukraine sparks rift with allies

A U.S. peace proposal for Ukraine has triggered sharp political strain across Kyiv’s relationships with its partners, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on November 21 that accepting the deal could cost the country both its dignity and its freedom.

His remarks followed public pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated in an interview that Kyiv should accept the American plan within a week and later insisted that time was running short due to worsening conditions on the battlefield and the onset of winter, reports Reuters.

Trump noted that Zelensky would need to sign off on any plan and recalled their tense meeting in February, asserting that the Ukrainian leader did not hold a strong negotiating position.

On November 23, Trump accused Ukraine of showing “zero gratitude” for his efforts to bring an end to the war with Russia, The National reported.

The 28-point proposal drafted in Washington calls for Ukraine to relinquish territory, limit the size of its armed forces and abandon its long-standing goal of joining NATO. A draft reviewed by Reuters also indicates that Russia would be required to withdraw from certain occupied areas, though the bulk of the concessions fall on Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that the document could serve as a basis for ending the nearly four-year conflict and argued that Ukraine and its European allies were failing to recognise the scope of Russian advances.

Zelensky has previously rejected the terms as capitulation. In an address to Ukrainians, he urged national unity and stressed that he would not “betray Ukraine,” emphasising that any settlement must protect “the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians.”

Two sources told Reuters that Washington warned Kyiv it could lose access to intelligence and weapons supplies if it refused the deal. However, a senior U.S. official later disputed that characterisation.

Kyiv has moved cautiously in public, with Zelensky holding calls on November 21 with leaders of Britain, Germany, France and later U.S. Vice President JD Vance. He said both sides agreed to have advisers seek “a workable path to peace” and affirmed that American efforts were valued.

In a joint statement published on November 22, following the G20 summit in South Africa, Ukraine’s allies have raised serious reservations about a new US peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia, warning that the draft plan needs significant revision to ensure a just and durable settlement, BBC News reports.

While acknowledging that the proposal contains some valuable elements, they expressed concern over suggested border changes, limitations on Ukraine’s military strength, and the implications for NATO and EU decision-making.

European officials have expressed strong concern. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that Russia held “no legal right whatsoever to any concessions,” calling the situation “a very dangerous moment.”

Reuters, The National, BBC News, Maghrebi.org