Zelensky: We will support the peace plan, but the points of contention need to be discussed with Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to support the US proposal to end the war with Russia and to discuss points of contention with US President Donald Trump. However, he said the talks should also include European allies.

Speaking to the so-called coalition of the willing, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, Zelensky urged European leaders to develop a framework for deploying a "reassuring force" to Ukraine and to continue their support until Russia showed a willingness to end the war.

European concerns

European leaders reacted to the first version of the US document with considerable caution. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that peace must not mean Ukraine's capitulation.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the US draft as a working document that requires further negotiations and insisted that Ukraine must negotiate from a position of strength.

European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas warned that this was a "very dangerous moment" because Russia, she said, had no right to demand concessions from a country it had invaded.

The European Union is preparing its own alternative peace plan, which is supposed to be more acceptable to Kiev. This process has contributed to tensions between the US and its European allies, as Europe was not invited at all to the original proposal.

In a phone call with Zelensky, the leaders of France, Germany and Britain reaffirmed their continued support for Ukraine's path towards a just peace. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed that the basis of the negotiations must remain the current front line, which contradicts the original US proposal.

Trump: it was just a sketch

Trump told reporters on Tuesday night that "everybody is tired of fighting" and urged them not to take the 28-point peace plan he presented last week as a firm proposal.

"It was just an outline," he explained, adding that negotiators were working on each of the points and gradually narrowing them down. At the moment, he said, there are "only a few points left where the parties disagree."

The original proposal was rejected by Ukraine

The suddenly unveiled 28-point US peace plan last week sent shockwaves not only in Kiev but also in several European capitals. The original version reportedly demanded major concessions from Ukraine - the withdrawal of the entire Donbas, capping the army at 600,000 troops and banning it from joining NATO.

Kiev has repeatedly warned that it considers certain conditions unacceptable.

Moreover, Ukraine's representative to the UN, Khrystyna Hajovyshynova, has reminded that Ukraine will never recognise Russia's annexation of its territories, will not agree to any limitation on the size or capabilities of its army, and will not allow interference with its sovereignty, including the right to decide on alliance relations. It also recalled that an aggressor cannot be 'rewarded' with concessions on identity or language.

Trump backed down with a November 27 deadline

Ukraine originally had until 27 November to agree to the US plan. That date was reportedly set by the US president, who referred to it as Thanksgiving. He originally claimed that Ukraine had "limited time to make a decision" and "weak cards".

However, he eventually backed away from the hard deadline, noting on Tuesday that he would like an agreement as soon as possible. "The deadline is over for me," Trump said on the presidential plane.

He also dismissed a report that U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff had advised the Russians on how to negotiate with him on the issue.
He said U.S. negotiators were making progress in talks with Russia and Ukraine, and Moscow had agreed to some concessions. But he gave no details.

The US president noted that Russia appeared to have the upper hand in the war and that concluding a deal would be in Ukraine's best interests. He added that some of Ukraine's territory "may be acquired by Russia anyway" over the next few months.

The Kremlin has not yet officially seen the proposal

The Kremlin says it has not yet seen the US-Ukrainian proposal in official form. However, President Vladimir Putin has admitted that some points of the US plan are in line with the August summit in Alaska where he held talks with Trump.

At the same time, he reiterated that Russia will not back down from its territorial and security demands. Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov added that Moscow considers the European proposal "completely unconstructive".

Trump wants to meet with both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents once the peace deal is final. In the meantime, he has sent his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll to Kiev.

(reuters, est, gko)