US Urging Zelenskyy To Sign Deal That Could See Ukraine Give Up Territory By Next Week: Report

US President Donald Trump welcomes Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)

Ukrainian officials said that Kyiv is coming under intense pressure to accept US President Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan, drafted by his administration with Moscow’s input.

The plan endorsed by Trump proposes major concessions by Kyiv where they stand to lose the region of Donbas and security guarantees.

Officials from Kyiv speaking to the Financial Times said that US officials expect Zelenskyy to sign the agreement “before Thanksgiving” on Thursday next week.

They also plan on presenting the peace deal in Moscow later this month and concluding the process by early December, the report said.

Ukrainian officials added the “aggressive” push is reminiscent of the pressure by Trump on Zelenskyy to accept the deal on mineral rights earlier this year.

Trump administration had informed Zelenskyy that the White House was working to an “aggressive” timeline to finalise the proposal and bring the war to a halt before the end of 2025.

Officials from Zelenskyy’s office told the Financial Times that the timeline set by Washington “appears highly unlikely to be achieved”.

“There were several points that were clear red lines for Kyiv,” the officials said, adding that they were working on counter proposals to present to the US side.

Zelenskyy’s office said on Thursday that the US has formally handed Ukraine the peace plan. The proposal would require Ukraine to cede land under its control in the eastern Donbas, reduce the size of its armed forces by half and let go of vital weaponry.

“The president of Ukraine has officially received from the American side a draft plan which, in the American side’s assessment, could help reinvigorate diplomacy,” Zelenskyy’s office said.

The Ukrainian President’s office said that Zelenskyy is expected to talk to Trump in the coming days about “the existing diplomatic opportunities and the key points required to achieve peace”.

“Our teams — Ukraine and the USA – will work on the points of the plan to end the war,” Zelenskyy later wrote on Telegram. “We are ready for constructive, honest and prompt work.”