Zelenskyy Cautious on US Plan, EU Rejects Concessions

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, after negotiations with a high-ranking US military official, has stated that he is ready for "honest" work with Washington on a plan to end the war. At the same time, European allies have sharply opposed the concessions to Russia envisioned in that same plan.

As reported by Reuters, citing a document it has obtained, the plan proposed by the US requires Kyiv to relinquish the entire Donbas region and significantly reduce its own army. These conditions have long been viewed by Ukraine's allies as a step tantamount to capitulation.

According to the 28-point plan, Ukraine must limit the size of its army to 600,000 troops, in exchange for which it will receive "strong security guarantees," without detailing their content.

The document includes a number of concessions for Russia. Specifically, it states that Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk will be recognized by the US as "de facto Russian," and Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the part of the Donetsk region currently under their control.

"This plan was developed directly after discussions with one of the highest-ranking members of President Zelenskyy's administration, Rustem Umerov, who, after making a few changes, agreed to most of the plan and presented it to President Zelenskyy," a senior US official told Reuters.

Zelenskyy, after a meeting in Kyiv with the US Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, announced that Ukraine and Washington would work on the points of the plan. "Our teams, from Ukraine and the US, will work on the points of the plan to end the war. We are ready for constructive, honest, and swift work," he wrote on Telegram.

The President's office did not directly comment on the content of the plan but noted that Zelenskyy "outlined the fundamental principles that are important for our people" and expects to discuss the key points necessary to achieve peace with President Trump in the coming days.

In contrast to Kyiv's caution, the reaction from European allies was much harsher. EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, made it clear that they would not accept terms that demand concessions from Kyiv. "The Ukrainians want peace—a just peace that respects everyone's sovereignty, a lasting peace that cannot be questioned by future aggression. But peace cannot be capitulation," stated French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been working secretly on the plan for about a month, and it has President Trump's support. According to her, the plan was "designed to reflect the realities of the situation after five years of devastating war—to find the best 'win-win' scenario where both sides get more than they give."

Moscow, in turn, has downplayed the importance of the American initiative. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that no consultations are currently underway. "There are contacts, of course, but there is no process that can be called a consultation," he said, adding that any peace deal must address the "root causes of the conflict."

The activation of American diplomacy comes at an unfavorable time for Kyiv. On the front lines, Ukrainian troops are on the defensive, and Zelenskyy's government has been weakened by a corruption scandal. Meanwhile, Russian forces continue their slow advance and are bombing Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The Chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, reported to President Putin about the capture of the city of Kupiansk, which, however, the Ukrainian side denies.