Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now facing the most painful choice of his entire presidency: if he agrees to cede Donbas, some Ukrainians will never forgive him; if not, the war will continue. This is reported by The Washington Post, as conveyed by UNN.
Details
As the publication writes, the Trump administration's new efforts for a peace agreement in Ukraine are accelerating on Sunday, as US envoys head to Geneva to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Despite widespread skepticism, officials say the talks will be flexible, not a directive for Kyiv.
American officials close to the negotiations reported that the administration recognizes that "security guarantees are not yet strong enough" in Trump's 28-point peace proposal.
For example, Trump could raise or remove the proposed 600,000-person limit on the size of the Ukrainian army. And to strengthen post-war deterrence, officials are considering supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles if a peace agreement is reached.
The source of the publication stated that "Ukraine's sovereignty can never be jeopardized. This would open the floodgates in Europe."
We don't want to see Ukraine fall apart
Critics of Trump's peace attempt argue that it would reward Moscow and undermine Ukraine's sovereignty in precisely the way officials say they want to avoid.
Another official stated that, contrary to some reports, the Trump administration is 100% committed to continuing US intelligence support for Ukraine. He argued that the 28-point plan is "ambitious" and open to negotiation.
American officials want to convince Europeans, Ukrainians, and Americans that Trump's peace proposal is not as pro-Russian as it may seem. But Zelenskyy will be best able to assess this. If he approves the agreement, responsibility will shift to Moscow. If he rejects it, the war will likely continue next year and beyond.
It is noted that the reason for the peace initiative was the feeling that recent battlefield defeats in the Donetsk region and a corruption scandal in Kyiv have brought Ukraine to a turning point. Meanwhile, Russia is experiencing growing economic pressure and may prefer to end the war rather than continue fighting for the two years it might take to fully capture Donetsk region.
The model for Trump's efforts in Ukraine is his successful pursuit of a ceasefire in Gaza. Officials compare the current situation in Ukraine to the opportunity that arose after Israel's September bombing of Hamas representatives in Qatar, which broke the stalemate. Turkey played a key mediating role with the Ukrainians, just as it did with Hamas during previous negotiations.
According to American officials, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov stated at a meeting in Florida that Zelenskyy may be ready to compromise on the important issue of exchanging territories in Donetsk for a peace agreement, which Russia demands. Umerov also said that Ukraine may be ready to limit the size of its army to 600,000 people.
After this limitation caused an uproar, one official said it could be increased or even removed, as it doesn't really affect the balance of power, which is heavily in Russia's favor anyway.
Due to political instability in Ukraine, American officials included in the agreement a proposal for national elections in Ukraine within 100 days of signing the agreement, which would mean public ratification or rejection of the agreement. They also added a clause on post-war amnesty at Ukraine's request to assure Zelenskyy and members of his government that they would not be prosecuted if the current corruption scandal expands.
The draft agreement calls for Ukraine to withdraw its troops from approximately 25% of the territory of Donetsk region that it currently controls, which meets a key Russian demand. To assure Ukraine that it will be safe behind the ceasefire line, the US draft agreement stipulates that this withdrawal zone must be demilitarized.
A US official reported that, in addition, the US and its allies will help Ukraine build a security "wall" along the ceasefire line using advanced technologies.
Zelenskyy is now facing the most painful choice of his entire presidency. If he agrees to cede Donetsk, some Ukrainians will never forgive him. If he refuses, this tragic war will continue. Despite all his courage, Zelenskyy may never have faced a more painful choice.
Recall
Ukrainian advisors will work in Switzerland on Sunday with representatives from the US, Britain, France, and Germany on the parameters of a peace agreement.
According to Axios, the US continues to work with the Ukrainian side on a revised peace plan to end the war.
The new US plan to end the Russian-Ukrainian war surprised the European diplomatic community.
European leaders are urgently coordinating a response to the US and Russian peace plan for Ukraine. This initiative has caused panic and concern among European officials, who believe it could force Ukraine to cede territory and limit NATO deployments.