‘Principled Positions:’ Zelenskyy Pledges To Work With Trump Administration on Ukraine Ceasefire Proposal

Latest Developments

• Zelenskyy Meets With U.S. Officials: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll on November 20 to discuss the Trump administration’s 28-point proposal to end the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is “closely coordinating to ensure that principled positions are taken into account.” Developed through secret talks between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dmitriev, the plan has been criticized for capitulating to Russia’s maximalist demands, including a cap on the size of Ukraine’s armed forces and the surrender of territory in eastern Ukraine currently controlled by the democratic government in Kyiv.
• Painful Concessions Required by Ukraine: The White House says President Donald Trump approved the plan, which supposedly promises Ukraine “robust” security guarantees. In return, Ukraine must permanently abandon its efforts to join NATO and would be prohibited from hosting NATO forces on its territory. The plan also states that Russia’s de facto control over the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea will be recognized, and some areas currently controlled by Ukraine will become neutral demilitarized zones. Current contact lines in the provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would be frozen. Multiple media outlets reported that Washington had threatened to cut off the supply of U.S. arms and intelligence if Kyiv refused to go along. “Now Ukraine may find itself facing a very difficult choice — either loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner,” Zelenskyy said in an address on November 21.
• Europeans Not Consulted: European leaders, who were not consulted when the proposal was crafted, emphasized their support for Ukraine. “For any peace plan to succeed, it has to be supported by Ukraine and it has to be supported by Europe,” said European Union (EU) political chief Kaja Kallas. “The pressure must be on the aggressor, not on the victim. Rewarding aggression will only invite more of it.” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated that “nothing about Ukraine [should be decided] without Ukraine.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to allay fears that Ukraine and Europe would be excluded on November 19, writing on X that the United States “will continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict.”

FDD Expert Response

“This is a terrible plan devised primarily in cahoots with Russian negotiators. The problem is that President Trump is unwilling to pressure Putin as he does with Zelenskyy, or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the case of Gaza. The United States needs a professional national security expert like Rubio leading these negotiations — not an amateur.” — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Fellow and Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology

“Even if faced with the loss of U.S. support, no Ukrainian leader is going to commit domestic political suicide by capitulating to Russian demands. Nor would such an agreement serve U.S. interests, as it could invite further Russian aggression. Rather than hastily trying to ram a bad deal down Kyiv’s throat, Washington should build leverage toward a better agreement. That means stringently enforcing new U.S. oil sanctions, enhancing Ukraine’s long-range strike and air defense capabilities, and helping Ukraine exhaust the Russian military’s offensive potential.” — John Hardie, Russia Program Deputy Director

“This is not the art of the deal. This is a humiliating surrender of Ukraine and/or international credibility. President Trump and Secretary Rubio must not force Ukraine to capitulate on these terms. It will weaken us on every other international front. From Asia to Europe, every ally will watch us throw Ukraine to the wolves and ask: When will the United States do the same to us?” — Peter Doran, Adjunct Senior Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“U.S. Envoy Reportedly Pushes Controversial Peace Plan As Russian Barrage Kills Dozens,” FDD Flash Brief

“Polish Authorities Investigating Sabotage of Critical Railway Used To Transport Aid to Ukraine,” FDD Flash Brief

“Massive Russian Missile and Drone Attack Kills 6 Overnight in Kyiv,” FDD Flash Brief

“‘He’s Not Messing Around’: Trump Signals NATO Could Shoot Down Russian Aircraft as Aerial Incursions Continue,” FDD Flash Brief