US pushing Ukraine to sign peace deal by Thanksgiving
The United States is reportedly pressuring Ukraine to sign a peace proposal with Russia by Thanksgiving, or risk losing American support in its conflict with Moscow, The Washington Post reported. The proposal, a 28-point plan drafted by President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, was presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.
Plan requires Ukraine to limit military and pledge neutrality
The plan calls for the US to recognize the entire eastern Donbas region as Russian territory and freeze battle lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. It also requires Ukraine to limit its military to 600,000 troops, promise permanent neutrality by never joining NATO, and enshrine this ban in its charter. In return, NATO would not be allowed to station troops in Ukraine, but European fighter jets could be based in neighboring Poland.
Trump defends plan, warns of consequences for Ukraine
Trump defended the proposal, saying if Ukraine doesn't agree to it, "they will lose in a short period of time." He also claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is "not looking for more war" once the Ukraine conflict is settled. Despite some Ukrainian officials giving "positive" feedback on the plan after talks with Witkoff last month, top Zelenskyy adviser Rustem Umerov denied this version of events.
European leaders express support for Ukraine's sovereignty
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have expressed continued support for Ukraine's sovereignty. They welcomed Ukraine's commitment to sovereignty and readiness for solid security guarantees while pursuing long-term protection of vital interests. Zelenskyy is facing a tough political period with Russian advances in northeastern cities and a corruption scandal involving $100 million embezzlement from Ukraine's energy sector.