After reviewing the draft peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to work with the US to end the war fairly, writes the BBC.
Several US media outlets have reported that the plan envisages giving the part of the Donbas region still controlled by Ukraine to the Russians, the reduction of the army and cancelling the plans to join NATO. It is not known how much Ukraine was involved in the development of the plan, but White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt has indicated that both sides were equally involved.
Zelensky’s office has informed that Ukraine has agreed to work with the plan in a way that ensures a fair outcome.
According to the plan, which was published in full by Axios and The Financial Times, Ukraine is to reduce its army to 600,000 people, and European fighter jets will be based in Poland. It is also stated that Kyiv will receive reliable security guarantees. However, it is not detailed what these could be. The plan envisages Russia returning to the international economic cycle, which will be achieved by lifting sanctions and inviting the aggressor country to rejoin the G7 group of countries. If the peace plan is approved, it will primarily benefit Moscow’s interests.
Zelensky said that he plans to discuss the proposals with US President Donald Trump in the coming days.
At a press conference at the White House, Leavitt denied that it is planned to ask Kyiv to give up the territory.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been working on the plan for about a month, and allegedly have involved both Kyiv and Moscow in the development to understand what the countries are willing to do to achieve a lasting and sustainable peace. Leavitt added that the plan is beneficial to both Russia and Ukraine: “We believe that it should be acceptable to both sides. And we’re working very hard to get it done.”
Zelensky wrote on the X that the Americans have offered their perspective on how to end the war, and he has outlined the main conditions of the Ukrainians. An agreement has been reached to continue working on the points of the peace plan to ensure that they are real. The Ukrainian president made the statement public after a meeting with top US military officials. Despite Kyiv’s tepid response to the plan, Zelensky said he appreciated Trump and his team’s efforts to restore peace to Europe.
In a speech on the evening of the 20th of November, Zelensky said that Ukraine needs a dignified peace and that Ukrainians must be respected.
Asked whether Europe was involved in the development of the peace plan, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said she was not aware of it. She added that
both Ukrainians and Europeans were needed to create a workable plan.
Moscow also did not appreciate the peace plan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that while there had been contact with the US, nothing that could be called consultations had taken place. He warned that any peace plan should also include the root of the conflict. It is a term Moscow uses to refer to a series of exaggerated demands that Kyiv sees as Ukraine’s capitulation.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Ukraine’s future must be decided by Ukrainians and that this should never be forgotten if a fair and lasting peace is to be achieved.
Since taking office at the beginning of the year, Trump has tried various initiatives to end the war in Ukraine. Among them was a meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska in mid-August. However, the Americans have so far failed to make any progress, and Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians.
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