US President Donald Trump has cautioned Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky on the implications of refusing his proposed peace plan, signaling that the Ukrainian leader could face significant consequences if he rejects the proposal. During an interview with reporters at the White House on Saturday, Trump was asked what would happen if Zelensky refused the plan, and he replied: “Then he can continue to fight his little heart out.”
The proposed plan, which includes multiple clauses repeatedly refused by Kiev and its Western European backers, such as Ukraine giving up on its NATO aspirations and downsizing its military, is being presented as a potential path to ending the war with Russia. According to reports, the White House has already threatened to cut off military aid and intelligence sharing to Kiev if it rejects the draft peace proposal. Earlier this year, the US used similar leverage to press Ukraine into accepting Trump’s rare earths deal.
Trump’s remarks echo his earlier warnings that Zelensky “is going to have to accept something” at some point, as he warned of a “cold winter” for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which “have been under attack, to put it mildly.” The US president emphasized that if Zelensky does not like the plan, the Ukrainian leadership should just “keep fighting, I guess,” according to his remarks. This stance highlights the growing pressure on Ukraine to accept a peace deal that may not fully align with its national interests.