Zelenskyy warns Ukraine faces ‘difficult choice’ as US peace plan hits major hurdle

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is greeted by US President Donald Trump (L) upon arrival at the White House West Wing in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.President Zelenskyy said today (Friday) Ukraine and the United States would “work on the provisions of the plan” and are ready for “constructive, honest and swift work.”(Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynold / AFP via Getty Images))

Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to remain disciplined as negotiations continue with Washington.“We will not make any loud statements;we will work calmly with America and all our partners,” he said.“I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will offer alternatives, but we will definitely not give the enemy any reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace, that it is disrupting the process, and that Ukraine is not ready for diplomacy.That will not happen.”

Warning of intensified attempts to divide the country, he said Ukrainians should expect “a lot of pressure — political, informational and other kinds of pressure — to weaken us,” but vowed that “we have no right to allow that,” and insisted, “we will succeed.”

A U.S.�It was strongly implied to the Ukrainians that the United States expects them to agree to a peace deal.Any changes will be decided upon by the President himself.”

According to multiple outlets, a working draft would require Kyiv to cede the eastern Donbas region to Russia, limit long-range Western strikes inside Russia, and cap Ukraine’s armed forces at roughly 600,000 troops.

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The White House says Witkoff and Secretary of StateMarco Rubiohave been “quietly working” on the plan and engaging both sides.PresidentDonald Trumphas been briefed and supports pushing to finalize the framework by the holidays. 

Zelenskyy is preparing for a call with Trump, having already spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice President JD Vance on Friday. 

Ukraine has formally received the document.Zelenskyy saidUkraine and the United States would “work on the provisions of the plan,” and that Kyiv is ready for “constructive, honest and swift work.” He has repeatedly ruled out recognizing Russian sovereignty over any Ukrainian territory, saying earlier there can be “no reward for waging war.”

“We are working to ensure that Ukraine’s national interests are taken into account at every level of our relations with partners,”Zelenskyy postedFriday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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ZELENSKYY SEEKS ‘STRONG REACTION’ FROM US IF PUTIN IS NOT READY FOR BILATERAL MEETING

President Donald Trump walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrive at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Aug.15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today (Friday) Russia has “not received anything officially” from Washington on the 28-point plan.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

com/world/u-s-russia-draft-peace-plan-ukraine-requiring-major-concessions-from-kyiv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyiv’s red linesinclude limits on NATO membership, territorial concessions and troop cuts.The former senior Ukrainian official called the draft’s terms “political suicide” that would leave Zelenskyy responsible “for the loss of about one-fifth of Ukraine.”

InMoscow, Kremlin spokesmanDmitry Peskov said Thursday that Washington and Moscow are not yet discussing the proposals in detail, but that contacts were taking place.“There are certain ideas on the American side, but nothing substantive is currently being discussed.We are completely open — we maintain our openness to peace negotiations,” Peskov told reporters.

U.S.Ambassador to the U.N.Mike Waltzpressed for urgency during a Security Council briefing Thursday, saying diplomacy is “the only path to a durable and just peace.” Waltz said Washington has “proposed generous terms for Russia, including sanctions relief,” and vowed that “under President Trump’s leadership, the United States will continue to pursue a path to peace in Ukraine.”

�s Gillian Turner reported that a Trump administration official said the United States has offered Ukraine a security guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5 — a commitment that would treat any attack on Ukraine as an attack on all and would require military defense.

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

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Firefighters work on the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Thursday, Aug.28, 2025.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

TheAssociated Press reportedthat the leaders of Germany, France and the U.K.spoke with Zelenskyy Friday to reaffirm their “unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace” as diplomats scrambled to parse a U.S.proposal many first learned about through the media.Germany’s Bild newspaper said Merz canceled a domestic appearance to hold crisis calls with both Zelenskyy and Trump.

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent.Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan.She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism.Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.