In a striking announcement, former US President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to consider a controversial peace plan devised by his administration, which involves significant territorial concessions to Russia. During a recent meeting in the Oval Office, Trump emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would eventually need to agree to the terms, declaring, “He’ll have to like it, and if he doesn’t like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting.”
Zelensky, however, has firmly rebuffed Trump’s approach, asserting that he would not “betray” his country in light of a 28-point proposal perceived to significantly favor Russian interests. The tension highlights the ongoing complexity of the situation, with Trump expressing impatience at the lack of progress toward resolving the conflict that erupted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump established a deadline of November 27, coinciding with the American Thanksgiving holiday, urging Ukraine to arrive at a decision regarding the proposed peace plan. He suggested that if negotiations were progressing positively, the deadline could be extended, but he believed that a response was warranted by that date.
The outlined terms of Trump’s plan reportedly include Ukraine relinquishing substantial eastern territories to Russia and drastically reducing its military forces. Furthermore, it proposes that Ukraine would forgo any aspirations of joining NATO and would not receive the Western peacekeepers it has sought, although there would be European warplanes stationed in Poland.
In his remarks, Trump claimed that failure to accept the plan would inevitably lead to further losses for Ukraine. He mentioned the bravery of Ukrainian forces while asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not seeking to escalate the conflict further. Trump described Putin as “taking punishment” for a war that he claimed was initially expected to last only a day, underscoring the prolonged nature of the ongoing conflict.
The exchange exemplifies the fraught international dynamics at play, revealing a stark contrast between the approaches of Trump and Zelensky as they navigate the challenges posed by the war and the quest for sustainable peace.
