US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that Washington has found a possible path to achieving peace between Ukraine and Russia, but the proposal will move forward only if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approves it.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We think we have a way to make peace, he (Zelensky) has to approve it. I think he’s getting pretty close, but I don’t want to make any predictions.”
His comments come amid intense discussions over a new peace plan drafted by the US, which Kiev is currently considering. According to CNN, the proposal is still under development and is expected to undergo significant amendments as negotiations continue.
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the country was facing one of the most challenging moments in its history as it considered the implications of the US proposal, Al Jazeera reported.
Speaking at a public rally outside his office in Kiev, Zelensky stressed the need for national unity and reiterated that he would never betray the Ukrainian people.
Zelensky said, “This is one of the most difficult moments in our history… Ukraine now faces a very difficult choice – it will either lose its dignity or risk losing a key partner.”
He said, “I will fight 24/7 to ensure that at least two points are not overlooked in the plan – the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians.”
A new Ukraine peace proposal being discussed within the Trump administration could include Kiev ceding territory in the eastern Donbass region and agreeing to limit its military capabilities in exchange for US-backed security guarantees, CNN reported, citing a Western official familiar with the ongoing discussions.
According to CNN, US officials said the proposal is still in the works, and added that any final agreement would require compromise from both Russia and Ukraine, which have been at war since 2014, and that the situation could escalate into full-scale war following Moscow’s invasion in 2022.
Officials stressed that some of the elements currently being circulated, including those seen as favorable to Moscow’s demands, are not final and are expected to change as discussions continue.
According to CNN report, this 28-point draft has been reviewed by US President Donald Trump and has his support.
It is Washington’s latest effort to revive peace efforts and end the nearly three-year-old conflict.
Some provisions, particularly those calling for Ukrainian territorial concessions in areas not fully under Russian control, have already been rejected by Kyiv.