Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared his country faces one of the most difficult moments in its history as former US President Donald Trump demands Kyiv accepts a controversial peace plan that would force territorial concessions to Russia.
Western Allies Rally at G20 Summit
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet with Ukraine's allies at the Johannesburg G20 summit on Saturday to discuss strengthening a US-drafted proposal to end the conflict with Russia. The meeting comes amid growing international concern about the aggressive timeline being pursued by the Trump administration.
Western leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined Starmer in a show of solidarity with Zelenskyy during a phone call on Friday. They collectively reaffirmed their support for Kyiv and insisted that any agreement to end the war must be genuinely fair and respect Ukraine's established red lines.
The Thanksgiving Deadline Pressure
Trump confirmed on Friday morning that next Thursday - Thanksgiving in the United States - would represent an "acceptable" deadline for Zelenskyy to sign the proposed deal. European and Ukrainian officials have characterised the agreement as amounting to a "capitulation" that would force Ukraine to surrender territory and make other painful concessions.
US officials have indicated the Trump administration is pursuing an "aggressive timeline" to conclude the conflict and intends to heap unprecedented pressure on Kyiv. Reports suggest Trump is threatening to cut vital intelligence sharing and weapons supplies if Ukraine fails to agree to the terms.
International Reactions and Developments
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Ukraine is being unrealistic if it rejects the US plan to end the war. "Ukraine is against it. Apparently, Ukraine and its European allies are still under illusions and dream of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield," Putin stated.
The positive response from the Kremlin has reinforced concerns among European and Ukrainian officials that the deal heavily favours Russian interests. In a sombre ten-minute speech delivered outside the presidential palace on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that agreeing to the US-Russian plan could leave Ukraine "without freedom, dignity and justice."
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasised the critical importance of how the conflict concludes. "Russia's war against Ukraine is an existential threat to Europe. We all want this war to end. But how it ends matters," she stated, adding that Russia has no legal right to concessions from the nation it invaded.
Meanwhile, security developments continue with a Ukrainian drone attack targeting energy facilities in Russia's Samara region on Saturday, resulting in two casualties according to regional governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.
US officials are expressing increasing concern about a meeting last month in Miami where Trump administration representatives, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with sanctioned Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev to draft the peace proposal.
