Zelenskyy’s somber remarks come as a new 28-point peace proposal — circulated by Trump and his administration — surfaced this week, confirming Ukraine’s sovereignty but limiting its armed forces to 600,000 personnel and permanently barring the country from joining NATO.
“Now the pressure on Ukraine is one of the most difficult. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,” Zelenskyy said, referencing the U.S., where Trump has been skeptical of fully backing Kyiv’s war effort.
“They will expect an answer from us,” Zelenskyy said about the peace proposal. “Although in fact I have already given it,” he added, citing the oath he took in 2019 to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The leaked plan has intensified fears in Ukraine and European capitals that Washington is charting its own diplomatic course, potentially favoring Russia while sidelining Kyiv and its European allies at a critical moment in the war.
“Americans are talking to Ukraine with a language of pressure. The only option is to sign. If the Ukrainians don’t sign it, the United States will cut all aid and intelligence sharing,” a senior European official told POLITICO, granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic.
Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv would work “quickly” and “24/7” to ensure that “among all the points of the plan, at least two are not missed … the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians.”
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