The American pressure on Kyiv regarding the framework for ending the war with Russia has in recent days revealed itself to be highly unfavorable for Ukraine. According to Reuters reporting, Washington has informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that it expects him to accept a U.S. proposal that would reportedly include the cession of Ukrainian territory, a reduction in military capabilities, and even a downsizing of the size of Ukraine’s armed forces. Two sources who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter confirmed that the United States wants Kyiv to agree to the “main points” if it wishes to retain the support of its key ally.Such a proposal places Kyiv in an extremely difficult position.
Ukraine has been resisting Russian aggression for the third year in a row, while repeatedly emphasizing that its minimum conditions for peace are respect for territorial integrity, accountability of the aggressor, and security guarantees that would prevent a new war.
The American proposal, as described by the sources, however, goes in the opposite direction. Tensions between Kyiv and Washington are also evident in diplomatic complications. According to information published by Volodymyr Savchenko from the analytical outlet The Ukrainian Review, a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Turkey was canceled after it became clear that Zelenskyy was not prepared to discuss the American peace plan.
The Ukrainian president had arrived in Turkey with an alternative proposal developed together with European partners. The European plan is said to be more acceptable to Ukraine, but the United States — according to a U.S. official — views it as something “Russia will never accept. ”The cancellation of the meeting was not merely a protocol inconvenience; it laid bare broader divergences. Ukrainians want to internationalize the process and involve European countries that better understand the regional consequences of permanent territorial concessions to Moscow.
According to a Ukrainian official who spoke to Axios, Zelenskyy proposed a broader discussion format, which reportedly surprised the U.S. side. Another American official even emphasized that rescheduling the meeting was also linked to the domestic political situation in Ukraine — particularly a corruption scandal at the very top of the presidential administration.It appears that Washington is trying to accelerate the end of the war with its proposals, but if Ukraine were to accept such terms, it would set a precedent that aggression pays off — with far-reaching consequences for both European security and the international order. For now, it remains unclear whether the United States will insist on a framework that is barely acceptable to Kyiv or whether it will allow more room for the European approach. What is clear, however, is that any attempt to impose a peace plan that effectively amounts to the capitulation of the weaker party does not lead to lasting peace, but rather to a new stage of instability.
S. K.
