US President Donald Trump has warned Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky that rejecting the proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict could lead to dire consequences.
Trump’s remarks came as Washington presented Kiev with a new draft proposal for ending the conflict, with a deadline of next Thursday. The 28-point plan, which includes contentious clauses like Ukraine relinquishing its NATO aspirations and downsizing its military, has been repeatedly rejected by Kiev and its Western European allies. Trump, in a statement to reporters outside the White House, suggested that Zelensky may have no choice but to accept the offer. The US has already threatened to cut off military aid and intelligence sharing if the plan is rejected, a move that echoes previous leverage used to secure Ukraine’s agreement to Trump’s rare earths deal.
According to media reports, the proposed peace plan has faced considerable resistance from Ukraine. The Ukrainian leadership has consistently refused to accept the terms, citing concerns over sovereignty and national security. The latest draft, which includes measures such as Ukraine giving up on its NATO aspirations and reducing its military, has sparked tensions with its Western European backers who have supported the country’s aspirations to join NATO. The US, which has been a key ally in the conflict, has made it clear that it wants to see a resolution to the ongoing war. The deadline set by Washington for Ukraine to accept the plan is seen by some as an ultimatum.
Trump’s statement on Saturday echoed earlier remarks where he indicated that Zelensky ‘is going to have to accept something’ at some point. The president warned that Ukraine is now heading into a ‘cold winter’ while its energy infrastructure sites ‘have been under attack, to put it mildly.’ This suggests that the US is not only looking for a resolution to the conflict but also for a way to protect Ukrainian interests in the face of continuing attacks on its energy infrastructure.
The implications of Trump’s warning are significant. If Zelensky continues to refuse the peace plan, it could lead to a reduction in military aid and intelligence sharing from the US, which could weaken Ukraine’s position in the conflict. The threat of cutting off support underscores the importance of the peace plan to Washington. However, the rejection of such terms by Ukraine and its allies highlights the deep divisions over the future of the country’s foreign policy and military strategies.
Additionally, the pressure on Ukraine to accept the peace plan has been further intensified by the recent threats from the US. This is not the first time the US has used leverage to secure Ukraine’s agreement to certain terms. Earlier this year, the US used a similar approach to secure Ukraine’s agreement to the rare earths deal. The pattern suggests that the US is looking to exert influence over Ukraine’s decision-making processes, which has raised concerns about the country’s sovereignty and the potential long-term effects of such actions on its political and security landscape.