Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Kyiv could lose crucial US backing if it rejects a widely leaked White House blueprint for ending the war with Russia.
Speaking on Dignity and Freedom Day outside the presidential office in Kyiv, Zelensky said Ukraine “might face a very difficult choice: either losing dignity, or risk losing a key partner”, calling the moment “one of the most difficult in our history”. He urged unity and said Ukraine would quietly work with the US and other allies to propose alternatives to the plan.
The leaked 28-point document proposes measures Kyiv had previously rejected: withdrawing Ukrainian forces from parts of the Donetsk region it currently holds, effectively ceding control of Donetsk, Luhansk and the Crimea peninsula to Russia, and freezing the borders of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia along current battle lines. It would also limit Ukraine’s military to about 600,000 personnel, station European fighter jets in Poland, and include vague “reliable security guarantees” while expecting no further NATO expansion. The draft suggests reintegrating Russia into the global economy, including lifting sanctions and inviting Moscow back into the G7.
The plan is widely seen as favouring Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had received the proposal and might use it as a “basis” for settlement, telling commanders that Russia would “show flexibility” but remained ready to continue the war. Putin, wearing a military uniform, underlined his goal of achieving the aims of what Moscow calls its “special military operation.”
US President Donald Trump urged Zelensky to accept the plan, saying the Ukrainian leader “is going to have to approve it” and setting a suggested deadline of 27 November — Thanksgiving in the US — while leaving open the possibility of extension. Trump warned Ukraine could lose more territory “in a short amount of time” if it did not agree.
Ukraine relies heavily on US-supplied advanced weapons, air-defence systems and intelligence, making Washington’s support critical. The White House has denied Kyiv was excluded from drafting the proposal. US officials say the plan was put together after discussions involving Ukraine’s security chief Rustem Umerov, who reportedly agreed to much of it and made amendments before presenting it to Zelensky. US special envoy Steve Witkoff also met Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev during the process.
Zelensky told citizens he had been reassured of continued backing during calls with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Sir Keir said allies were committed to securing “a just and lasting peace” and would discuss how to strengthen the proposal at the G20 summit.
Reactions inside Ukraine were largely defiant. People from both government-held and occupied areas condemned the draft: one Kyiv widow called it “a plan to continue the war,” and someone in an occupied territory said they hoped it would not be signed. Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, and its forces have made slow gains despite reported heavy casualties.
