White House suggests Zelenskyy may accept U.S. peace plan amid Ukraine pressure
The Trump administration indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may agree to a new U.S. peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. U.S. officials suggest that Kyiv is under increasing pressure amid a domestic corruption scandal.
A senior White House official told Politico that “the Ukrainians will have to accept [the deal] given the weakness of Zelenskyy’s current position,” News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Politico reports that U.S. President Donald Trump set a deadline of Nov. 24 for Ukraine to sign the agreement, warning that failure to do so could jeopardize support from U.S. intelligence and military forces. Other sources, including Trump, have suggested a slightly later deadline of Thanksgiving, Nov. 27.
Trump has expressed a desire to end hostilities, reportedly adjusting his approach depending on where he believes the U.S. has the most leverage. A U.S. official said, “It was strongly implied to the Ukrainians that the United States expects them to agree to a peace deal. Any changes will be decided upon by the president himself.”
The 28-point plan, first reported by Axios, was drafted by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff with input from Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Under its terms, Ukraine would be required to:
Withdraw from the Donbas region
Reduce the size of its military
Give up long-range weapons
In return, Ukraine would receive security guarantees similar to NATO.
Zelenskyy and Trump are expected to hold a phone call next week to discuss the proposal. On Nov. 21, Trump told journalists that Ukraine must either accept the plan or continue fighting, though he did not specify consequences if the agreement is rejected.
The peace plan emerged shortly after a corruption scandal in Ukraine involving the state nuclear energy company Energoatom, reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on Nov. 10. The case implicated Zelenskyy’s former business partner Timur Mindich, two ministers, and several other officials.
On Nov. 19, Ukraine’s parliament dismissed Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk amid the scandal.
In his Nov. 21 address to the nation, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine faces a difficult choice and described the situation as one of the most challenging moments in the country’s history.
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