Trump Presses Zelensky to Accept 28-Point Peace Plan, Warns Kyiv Against Delays:

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a new 28-point peace proposal aimed at ending nearly four years of war with Russia. Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, Trump defended the plan as both “good” and “necessary,” arguing that the long-running conflict must come to a close sooner rather than later. Trump also introduced a sense of urgency, saying Ukraine should agree to the proposal by Thanksgiving. When asked whether the holiday deadline represented a final offer, he clarified that it was not a strict ultimatum — but insisted that time for negotiations was running out. According to Trump, Ukraine must face what he sees as the unavoidable reality of the war. If Ukraine decides to reject the deal, Trump said Zelensky could “fight his little heart out,” a remark that immediately drew attention for its dismissive tone. Zelensky, for his part, has not yet spoken directly with Trump since the plan became public earlier this week. However, he has said that a call is expected in the coming days, according to the Associated Press. The conversation is likely to be tense, given the already fraught relationship between the two leaders and their long history of difficult exchanges. At the center of the controversy is one of the plan’s most contentious provisions: a requirement that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Although parts of Donbas remain under Russian occupation, much of the territory is still firmly in Ukrainian hands after years of intense fighting. Ceding the region would represent one of the most significant territorial concessions Ukraine has ever been asked to make. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based research group, has noted that at Russia’s current rate of advance, it could take years for Moscow’s forces to seize the whole of Donbas. Ukrainian defenses in the region depend on several major cities that function as strategic hubs for industry, logistics and military operations. Giving up these positions would undermine Ukraine’s ability to defend itself in the future — one reason the proposal has caused alarm in Kyiv. Despite those concerns, Trump argues that Ukraine’s surrender of Donbas is not only necessary but inevitable. In an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday, the president claimed that Ukraine was steadily losing territory and would soon be unable to stop Russian advances. “They will lose in a short period of time. You know so,” he said. “They’re losing land. They’re losing land.” For Ukrainians, Trump’s comments strike at the heart of their struggle. Since the first days of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has resisted pressure to relinquish territory, insisting that any peace agreement must respect its internationally recognized borders. Zelensky has repeatedly said that Ukraine will not accept deals that force it to surrender land in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. The coming days may prove crucial. With the proposed peace plan now public and pressure intensifying from Washington, Zelensky faces the challenge of responding to a proposal that could shape the future of his country. Whether the two leaders can find common ground — or whether Trump’s deadline deepens the divide — remains uncertain. What is clear is that any agreement involving territorial concessions will be extremely difficult for Ukraine to accept, especially as the war continues to evolve on the ground.

NEWS