President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday (November 21, 2025) that Ukraine has to confront the possibility of losing its dignity or risking the loss of a key partner as it figures out how to respond to a U.S. peace proposal.
“This is one of the most difficult moments in our history,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation.
“Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”
The leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom spoke by phone on Friday (November 21, 2025) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, assuring him of their continued support amid the war with Russia as European officials scrambled to respond to U.S. peace proposals that apparently caught them unawares.
U.S. peace proposal
The U.S. plan contains many of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s longstanding demands, including Ukrainian territorial concessions, while offering limited security guarantees to Ukraine.
Wary of antagonizing U.S. President Donald Trump, the European and Ukrainian responses were cautiously worded and pointedly commended American peace efforts.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Mr. Zelenskyy of “their unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine, Mr. Merz’s office said.
The four leaders welcomed U.S. efforts to end the war. “In particular, they welcomed the commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to grant Ukraine solid security guarantees,” the statement added.
“They agreed to continue pursuing the aim of protecting vital European and Ukrainian interests in the long term,” the statement said. “That includes the line of contact being the point of departure for an agreement and that the Ukrainian armed forces must remain in a position to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine effectively.”
Mr. Starmer said the right of Ukraine to “determine its future under its sovereignty is a fundamental principle.”
European countries on Ukraine-Russia conflict
European countries see their own futures at stake in Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion and have insisted on being consulted in peace efforts.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine is an existential threat to Europe. We all want this war to end. But how it ends matters,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels. “Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded. Ultimately, the terms of any agreement are for Ukraine to decide.”
The plan foresees Ukraine handing over territory to Russia, something Mr. Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out, reduces the size of it army and blocks its route to NATO membership.
Mr. Zelenskyy said the leaders discussed the plan and appreciated the efforts of Mr. Trump and his team, although he added that they are “working on the document.”
“We are closely coordinating to ensure that the principled positions are taken into account,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.
The proposals come at a difficult time for Mr. Zelenskyy, who is grappling with a push on the battlefield by Russia’s bigger army and a major domestic corruption scandal.
A European government official said that the U.S. plans weren’t officially presented to Ukraine’s European backers.
Many of the proposals are “quite concerning,” the European government official said, adding that a bad deal for Ukraine would also be a threat to broader European security.
The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the plan publicly.
European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she also would call Mr. Zelenskyy to discuss the 28-point plan.
“Important is a key principle we have always upheld, and that is nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” she said at a G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
European Council President Antonio Costa in Johannesburg said of the U.S. proposals: “The European Union has not been communicated (about) any plans in (an) official manner.”
Ukrainian officials said they were weighing the U.S. proposals, and Mr. Zelenskyy said he expected to talk to Mr. Trump about it in coming days.
“We are fully aware that America’s strength and America’s support can truly bring peace closer, and we do not want to lose that,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on Telegram late on Thursday.
The Kremlin offered a reserved reaction, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that Moscow has not officially received the U.S. peace plan.
“No, we haven’t received anything officially. We’re seeing some innovations. But officially, we haven’t received anything. And there hasn’t been a substantive discussion of these points,” Mr. Peskov told reporters without elaborating further.
He claimed U.S.-Russian diplomatic contacts are “ongoing,” but “nothing substantive is currently being discussed.”
A U.S. team began drawing up the plan soon after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Rustem Umerov, a top adviser to Mr. Zelenskyy, according to a senior Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The official added that Mr. Umerov agreed to most of the plan, after making several modifications, and then presented it to Mr. Zelenskyy.
Mr. Umerov on Friday denied that version of events. He said he only organized meetings and prepared the talks.
He said technical talks between the U.S. and Ukraine were continuing in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials are “carefully studying all the partners’ proposals, expecting the same respectful attitude toward the Ukrainian position.”
“We are thoughtfully processing the partners’ proposals within the framework of Ukraine’s unchanging principles — sovereignty, people’s security, and a just peace,” he said.
Published – November 21, 2025 09:04 pm IST
